Leishman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Leishman surname is derived from the Old English word "laece" meaning "leech," and indicating "one who used leeches to let blood," that is, a blood-letter or physician.
Early Origins of the Leishman family
The surname Leishman was first found in Stirlingshire where they held a family seat. The deep roots of the name appear to be in an area around Falkirk and there are many early recordings of the name although it is also recorded in Lanarkshire with the early spelling of Leechman was a sobriquet for a doctor. In fact, there is a claim on record of one Leechman who held many estates and who was Medicus Regis, the King's Leech, and, it is intimated, was the ancestor of the all the Leechmans. Oddly, in their later border relationships, the Leishmans became more oriented toward the clergy. William Leischman was prior of Fogo in 1465. 1
Early History of the Leishman family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leishman research. Another 45 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1435, 1550 and 1644 are included under the topic Early Leishman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Leishman Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Leechman, Leishman, Leeshman, Leischman, Leisman, Leachman, Leychman, Leighchman, Liechman, Leesman and many more.
Early Notables of the Leishman family
More information is included under the topic Early Leishman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Leishman Ranking
In the United States, the name Leishman is the 15,146th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2
Leishman migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Leishman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- James Leishman, who settled in Boston in 1717
- John Leishman, who arrived in New England in 1764 3
- John Leishman, who arrived in New England with his wife Sarah in 1764
Leishman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- William Leishman, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1864 3
Leishman migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Leishman Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Andrew Leishman, who settled in Montreal in 1812
- Robert Leishman, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Favourite" in 1815
Leishman 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:
Leishman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. Robert Leishman, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd September 1860 4
- Mrs. Margaret Leishman, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd September 1860 4
Contemporary Notables of the name Leishman (post 1700) +
- John G. A. Leishman (1857-1924), American Republican politician, President, Carnegie Steel Company, 1886-97; U.S. Minister to Switzerland, 1897-1901; Turkey, 1900-06; U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, 1906-09; Italy, 1909-11; Germany, 1911-13
- John G A Leishman (1857-1924), American diplomat and steel industrialist
- Mr. Mark Murray Leishman C.V.O., L.V.O., British Private Secretary to The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order on 17th June 2017
- Lieutenant-General Sir William Boog Leishman FRS (1865-1926), Scottish pathologist, Director-General of Army Medical Services (1923 to 1926)
- Tommy Leishman (b. 1937), Scottish former professional footballer
- Larry Leishman (b. 1947), Scottish-born, Canadian guitarist
- Melanie Leishman (b. 1989), Canadian actress
- Jim "Leish" Leishman MBE (b. 1953), former professional footballer
- Alan Leishman, Australian garden administrator and amateur ornithologist
- Ariel Leishman Maughan (1923-1997), American professional basketball player
Historic Events for the Leishman family +
- Mr. William Leishman (b. 1899), Scottish Chief Stoker serving for the Royal Navy from Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 5
The Leishman Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Industriae manus
Motto Translation: The gift of industry.
Citations +
- 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
- H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm