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Ledbetter History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Ledbetter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain were the first to use the name of Ledbetter. The name had a practical origin since it came from when its initial bearer worked as a worker in lead. Further research showed the name was derived from the Old English words lead and beatere, meaning literally "he who beats lead." 1

"In old times, before the process of rolling that metal into sheets by machinery was employed, it was laminated by the laborious manual operation of hammering; and as most churches and other large buildings were roofed with this material, the occupation of the lead-beater was a very common and necessary one." 2

Metallurgy was not an advanced art in the Middle Ages; the metal in modern cutlery is far harder and has more resiliency than that in the best sword in medieval times. It was a common sight during a battle in the early Middle Ages to see a soldier hit someone with a sword, then put it on the ground and step on it to straighten out the bend it had just acquired. Lead was a popular metal to work with thanks to its malleability, making it easy to work. Of course, its toxic properties were not known; in fact, its sweet taste led to its use in antiquity as a condiment in some places, though usually not for long. Lead was commonly found in jewelry as a metal mixed with gold, and in pewter, an amalgam of lead and tin, used for drinking cups and cutlery. This made the occupation of leadbeater an important one in the Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Ledbetter family

The surname Ledbetter was first found in Warwickshire where Ingald Ledbater was recorded in the Assize Rolls for 1221. A few years later, Walter Ledbeter, le Ledbetere was listed in the Assize Rolls for Northumberland in 1256. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included an entry for Gonnilda le Ledbetere, Buckinghamshire and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Ricardus Ledebatter; and Robertus Ledebeter. 4

As an occupational name, we should not be surprised to find the name as far north as Scotland. "Walter Ledbeter of Heydon was before an assize at Newcastle-on-Tyne on suspicion of robbery in Scotland in 1256. Thomas Ledbeter was custumar and provost of Linlithgow in 1328 and following years. Alexander Leadbetter, merchant in Kelso, 1831." 5

Early History of the Ledbetter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ledbetter research. Another 170 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1221, 1250, 1328, 1561, 1562, 1669, 1702 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Ledbetter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ledbetter Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Ledbetter include Leadbetter, Leadbater, Leadbeater, Leadbeter, Leadbetter, Leadbitter and many more.

Early Notables of the Ledbetter family

More information is included under the topic Early Ledbetter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ledbetter Ranking

In the United States, the name Ledbetter is the 1,529^th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 6

Ledbetter migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Ledbetter or a variant listed above:

Ledbetter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hurry Ledbetter, who arrived in Mississippi in 1798 7

Ledbetter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Ledbetter, who landed in Texas in 1830 7
John Ledbetter, who arrived in Texas in 1830 7

Ledbetter 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:

Ledbetter Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Ledbetter, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Rakaia" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 10th August 1881 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Ledbetter (post 1700) +

Melinda Kae Ledbetter (1946-2024), American talent manager
Calvin Ledbetter Jr. (1929-2013), American politician and academic, member of the Arkansas House of Representatives (1967–1976)
Brigadier-General Louis A. Ledbetter (b. 1890), American Commanding Officer 90th Infantry Brigade (1939-1942) 9
James Ledbetter, American author and editor
Toy W. Ledbetter, professional American football player
Brian Richard Ledbetter (b. 1963), former American competitive sailor
Ralph Overton "Razor" Ledbetter (1894-1969), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Joe Ledbetter (b. 1977), American artist and art toy designer
Marshall Ledbetter Jr. (1969-2003), American photographer, psychedelics enthusiast, iconoclast and unconventional protester
Mary Brown Williams Ledbetter (1932-2010), American political activist, social justice crusader and lobbyist
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Ledbetter family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Harold Ledbetter, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 10

St. Francis Dam

Mr. Charles T. Ledbetter, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, April 2) Louis Ledbetter. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Ledbetter/Louis_A./USA.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html