Leu History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The origin of the proud surname Leu can be traced to the historic kingdom of Bohemia, which is now part of Czechoslovakia. German surnames developed at a time when most of Bohemia, and most of the German provinces, were states of the Holy Roman Empire. At first people used only a single name, but as the population grew and people began to travel, they began to find it necessary to take on an additional name to differentiate themselves. The distinguished surname Leu is derived from the Middle High German "lewe," meaning "lion."

Early Origins of the Leu family

The surname Leu was first found in Bohemia, where the Leu family became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the family became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation. One of the earliest recorded Bohemian bearers of the name was Hensel Lebel, who lived in Budweis in 1387.

Early History of the Leu family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leu research. Another 312 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1225, 1265, 1300, 1460, 1465, 1507, 1522, 1628, 1703, 1706, 1733, 1796, 1799 and 1869 are included under the topic Early Leu History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leu Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Loewe, Loewen, Lowen, Lowe, Low, Lower, Löwe, Löw, Leu, Leue, Lau, Laue, Löbe, Lobe, Leb, Lebe and many more.

Early Notables of the Leu family

During this early period, notable bearers of the name Leu included

Hans Leu, The Elder (1460-1507), a Swiss painter, native to Zurich

Leu Ranking

In the United States, the name Leu is the 13,473^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Leu migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Leu Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Leu, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 2
Hans Jakob Leu, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 2
Hans Jerg Leu, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 2
Hs Leu, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1742 2
He Jacob Leu, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Leu Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Valentine Leu, aged 29, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 2
Georg Leu, aged 21, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 2
Johann Leu, who landed in Kentucky in 1883 2
Otto Leu, who arrived in Kentucky in 1883 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Leu (post 1700) +

Alexandru Leu (b. 1991), Moldovan footballer
Heinz Leu, Swiss gold medalist bobsledder at the 1957 World Championships
Evelyne Leu (b. 1976), Swiss gold medalist freestyle skier at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Fritz Leu (b. 1906), Swiss artist

Citations +

"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)