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 623 words (44 lines of text) covering the years 1225, 1522, 1265, 1300, 1706, 1733, 1799, 1465, 1460, 1507, 1628, 1703, 1796 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 (pre 1700)
During this early period, notable bearers of the name Leu included Leon Loewe von Rozmital (around 1465), whose famous descriptions of the Holy Land through which he traveled were translated into many languages, his daughter became the Queen of Bohemia; Hans Leu, The Elder...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Leu Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Leu family to the New World and Oceana
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 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Hans Jakob Leu, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Hans Jerg Leu, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Hs Leu, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1742 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - He Jacob Leu, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - ... (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 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Georg Leu, aged 21, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Johann Leu, who landed in Kentucky in 1883 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Otto Leu, who arrived in Kentucky in 1883 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
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