| ![Show Contents]() Leight History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Anglo-Saxon name Leight comes from the baptismal name Lettice, a popular girls name in medieval times. This personal name was originally derived from the Latin laetitia, which means gladness and joy. Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames. Early Origins of the Leight familyThe surname Leight was first found in Gloucestershire, where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Lett, before the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086. Early History of the Leight familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leight research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1864, 1956, 1963, 1972 and 1981 are included under the topic Early Leight History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Leight Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Leight has appeared include Lett, Layt, Laite, Layte, Let, Lete, Latt, Leyt, Letts, Lettson and many more. Early Notables of the Leight familyMore information is included under the topic Early Leight Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Leight family to Ireland
Some of the Leight family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Leight migration to the United States | + |
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Leight arrived in North America very early:
Leight Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Peter Leight, who arrived in New England in 1760 1
- John Leight, who arrived in Maryland in 1798 1
| Leight migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Leight Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- William Leight, aged 28, a gentleman, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Amynta" from Plymouth, England
| Leight migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Leight Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Geo Hy Leight, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
- John Henry Leight, aged 32, a butcher, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
- Mary Leight, aged 30, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
| Contemporary Notables of the name Leight (post 1700) | + |
- Warren Leight (b. 1957), American Tony award winning playwright, finalist for the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
| Historic Events for the Leight family | + |
USS Arizona - Mr. James Webster Leight, American Seaman Second Class from California, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 2
- 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)
- Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
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Leight migration to the United States 
Leight migration to Canada 
Leight migration to New Zealand 
England
Ireland
