Leatherman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The surname Leatherman was an occupational name for a tanner, derived from the German word "lederaere," meaning "leather worker." While patronymic and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the name of the father and mother respectively, are the most common form of a hereditary surname in Germany, occupational surnames also emerged during the late Middle Ages. Many people, such as the Leatherman family, adopted the name of their occupation as their surname.

Early Origins of the Leatherman family

The surname Leatherman was first found in Austria, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. Chronicles first mention Heynke Lederer of Liegnitz in 1372, and Sigfrid der Ledergaerwe of Schorndorf in 1302. The family branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

Early History of the Leatherman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leatherman research. Another 184 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1723, 1778, 1795, 1842 and 1860 are included under the topic Early Leatherman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leatherman Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Leatherman include Lederer, Leder, Lederman, Ledermann, Lederle and others.

Early Notables of the Leatherman family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Leatherman were August Gottlob von Lederer (1723-1795), who was an Austrian state official. He was born in Saxony, where his father was a highly placed administrator, and later served in Brussels as an official at the court. He became secretary of the...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Leatherman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leatherman Ranking

In the United States, the name Leatherman is the 4,963^rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Leatherman migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Leatherman or a variant listed above:

Leatherman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Dewalt Leatherman, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1727 aboard the ship "James Goodwill" 2
Jacob Leatherman, aged 32, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1741 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Leatherman (post 1700) +

Timothy S. Leatherman, American co-founder of the Leatherman Tool Group in 1983
Hugh Kenneth Leatherman Sr. (1931-2021), American politician who served as a Republican member of the South Carolina Senate from 1981 until his death in 2021, President Pro Tempore of the South Carolina Senate, member of the State Budget and Control Board until it was abolished in 2014
Janie L. Leatherman (b. 1959), scholar from the United States
Sheila Leatherman CBE, American research professor
Russ Leatherman, American voice actor, the famous voice of Moviefone
Stephen P. Leatherman, the American director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University
S. R. Leatherman, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Mississippi, 1936 3
Mrs. Paul A. Leatherman, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 1944; Member of West Virginia Republican State Executive Committee, 1949 3
J. H. Leatherman, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Indian Territory, 1904 3
George W. Leatherman, American politician, Postmaster at Jeffersontown, Kentucky, 1841, 1846-49 3
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html