Leite History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Leite family

The surname Leite was first found in Cambridge where there is some dispute over the origin on the name. One reference claims the name is a location name meaning "a meeting of crossroads" as in "court-leet and borough-leet," 1 while another claims the name was a baptismal name "the son of Lettice" (Latin laetitia, gladness) from the nickname Lete. Lettice was a very popular girl's name in its day but was rare by the late 1800s. 2 Regardless of the origin, the first records of the name were in Cambridge where Letia (no surname) was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls list Nicolas filius Lete in Bedfordshire; Walter Lete in Suffolk and Roge Lete in Oxfordshire. 2

Early History of the Leite family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leite research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1612, 1661, 1665, 1676 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Leite History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leite Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Leite were recorded, including Leete, Leeth, Leety, Lety and others.

Early Notables of the Leite family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Leite Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leite Ranking

In the United States, the name Leite is the 11,352^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Leite family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Leite family emigrate to North America: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

Contemporary Notables of the name Leite (post 1700) +

Wilson Leite Braga (1931-2020), better known as simply Wilson Braga, a Brazilian politician, lawyer and businessman from the state of Paraíba
Adriano Leite Ribeiro (b. 1982), Brazilian footballer

Historic Events for the Leite family +

Bismarck

Hans Leite (1921-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 4

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details