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Leo History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Leo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Italy

The distinguished surname Leo originated in an area of Italy, known as the Papal States. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adapt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. The most traditional type of family name found in the region of the Papal States is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Leo came from the given name Leoni which comes from the Latin Leo or Leonios, which means lion-like.

Early Origins of the Leo family

The surname Leo was first found in 1130, when Giovanni-Antonio Leoncilli owned much land around Spoleto.

Early History of the Leo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leo research. The years 1425, 1457, 1509, 1537, 1540, 1588, 1596 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Leo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leo Spelling Variations

In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is "i", whereas in Southern Italy it is "o". Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The spelling variations in the name Leo include Leoni, Leone, Leon, Lioni, Lione, Lion, Liuni, Leo, Lio, De Leone, De Leonibus, De Leo, Di Leo, Leonelli, Leonello, Leoncilli, Lionelli, Lionello, Leonetti, Lionetti, Leoncini, Leoncino, Leonotti and many more.

Early Notables of the Leo family

Prominent among members of the family was

Bussadi Leoni, a noblewoman in Rome during the 15th century who married at age 12 and was known for her piety and charity...
Domenico Leonessa of Naples became the Archbishop of Rossano in 1457...
Leone Leoni was a medalist and sculptor born in Como in 1509...
He worked mainly in Spain, and collected Leonardo da Vinci's papers, drawings, and notes, which today lie in the Ambrosiana in Milan...
Andrea di Leone (1596-1675), was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active in his native city of Naples...
Leone Leoni was a 16th century composer of madrigals and motets and was maestro di cappella of the Duomo of Vicenza from 1588...
Giovanni Antonio Leoni was a 17th century Roman violinist and composed 31 violin sonatas...
Guglielmo Leone, Count of Zumaglia, was the first President of the Piedmontese Senate in the 18th century...

Leo Ranking

In the United States, the name Leo is the 6,217^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Leo is ranked the 5,814^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Leo migration to the United States +

Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Leo or a variant listed above:

Leo Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Leo, who landed in Virginia in 1714 3

Leo Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

H Leo, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
Carl Leo, who arrived in New York, NY in 1851
Jonathan Leo, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1857 3
Andreas Leo, who settled in America in 1859
Bridget Leo, who arrived in New York, NY in 1865
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Leo Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Agnes Leo, aged 40, who settled in America from Castle Connell, in 1902
Acenssio Leo, aged 35, who landed in America from Caltabellotto, in 1906
Agnesa Leo, aged 59, who landed in America from Siano, Italy, in 1909
Alberto Leo, aged 13, who immigrated to the United States from Cesoria, Napoli, in 1909
Alberto Leo, aged 36, who settled in America from Napoli, Napoli, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Leo migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Leo Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Leo, (b. 1820), aged 17, Irish maid who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for 7 years for house robbery, transported aboard the "Diamond" on 29th November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Robert Leo, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Cressy" in 1847 5

Leo 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:

Leo Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Daniel Leo, aged 27, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Leo (post 1700) +

John Patrick Leo (1935-2022), American writer and journalist, editor-in-chief of "Minding the Campus", a conservative-libertarian web site focusing on America's colleges and universities
Theodore F. Leo (b. 1970), American punk rock/indie rock songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist
Melissa Chessington Leo (b. 1960), American actress and winner of a Golden Globe award and Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the 2011 Academy Awards
Pasquale F. De Leo, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1980 6
William Leo, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1996, 2000, 2004 (alternate); member, Credentials Committee, 2008 7
Terri Leo, American Republican politician, Member of Texas State Board of Education 6th District 7
Joseph Leo (b. 1938), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 2004, 2008 (alternate) 7
Gus Leo, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Dutchess County, 1956 7
Greg Leo, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Oregon, 2008 7
Susan Leo (b. 1962), former Australian international tennis player
... (Another 2 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/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Diamond
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CRESSY 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Cressy.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html