Lesser History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:

France

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The prestigious surname Lesser comes from the region of Provence, in France. The surname Lesser is of local origin, and is therefore a type of hereditary surname. Local surnames are derived either from an already existing place-name or from a local feature of the geography.

Early Origins of the Lesser family

The surname Lesser was first found in Provence, where this distinguished family held a family seat from ancient times.

In 1552, Antoine Sardo became the Deputy of Mons at Draguignan. Antoine Sarde was a clerk and deputy of Mons at Fayence and Tourettes in 1554 and at Barjols in 1574. Distinctive members of the family were Jean, Father Superior of Saint-Marcelin in 1614, and Antoine Sardi, Treasurer in 1620.

Throughout the centuries, this renowned family expanded, prospered and branched to various regions where they became prominent members of their respective communities. In Savoie for instance, Balthazard became the Chief Auditor in the Audit Office on October 19, 1622, and two noble members mentioned were, César on June 4, 1645 and Jean Antoine in 1665.

In recognition of their invaluable contributions in defending their country, several members of the family were granted titles, lands and letters patent certifying their nobility. Among those honored were the Lord Vincent Sarde of Candie in 1728 and the Count J. Sarde in 1731.

Etienne Lessard, born in 1623, travelled from Normandy (French: Normandie) to the New World in 1646. After settling in Quebec he was an ensign in the military at the Hill of Beaupré and he became co-lord of Lanoraie in 1668. He married Marguerite Sevestre on 8th April 1652 and they had 8 children, six sons and two daughters. Etienne passed away at the age of 80 and was buried at Sainte-Anne on 21st April 1703. His wife, Marguerite, passed away on 27th June 1720 and was buried at the same location as her husband. 1

Early History of the Lesser family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lesser research. Another 49 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1384, 1406, 1580, 1598, 1617, 1622, 1634, 1655, 1658 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Lesser History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lesser Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lessard, Lessart, Lessar, Lessarde, Lesart, Lesard, Lesser, Lesseir, Leser, Lezer, Lesarde, Lesar, Lezard, Lezzard, Lezart, Lezar, Lezarde, Lisart, Lizart, Sarde, Sardo and many more.

Early Notables of the Lesser family

Notable amongst the names at this time was Hubert Le Sueur (c.1580-1658), a French sculptor with the contemporaneous reputation of having trained in Giambologna's Florentine workshop; Balthazard Sarde, Chief Auditor in the Audit Office in 1622; Jean Le...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lesser Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lesser Ranking

In the United States, the name Lesser is the 9,670^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Lesser migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lesser Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Kristoffel Lesser, who landed in New York in 1709 3
Nicholas Lesser, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1739 3
Nicholas Lesser who settled in Philadelphia in 1739
Hans Michall Lesser who settled in Philadelphia in 1739
Hans Michael and Nicholas Lesser, who settled in Philadelphia in 1739
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lesser Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Matheas Lesser, aged 43, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1845 3
Christian Lesser, who settled in Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Friedrich"
Alexander Lesser, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 3
Jette Lesser, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 3
Bertha Lesser, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lesser migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lesser Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Lotte Lesser, who arrived in Quebec in 1893

Lesser 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:

Lesser Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

C. Lesser, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Triumph" in 1883

Contemporary Notables of the name Lesser (post 1700) +

Leonard King "Len" Lesser (1922-2011), American actor known for a key role in the Clint Eastwood movie Kelly's Heroes and his recurring role as Uncle Leo on Seinfeld
George Lesser (b. 1932), American rock and roll musician
Sol Lesser (1890-1980), American movie director
Robert J. Lesser, American politician, Representative from Pennsylvania 13th District, 1940 4
Julius Lesser, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arkansas, 1892 4
Mike Lesser (1943-2015), English mathematical philosopher and political activist