Surname Leitheußer - Meaning and Origin
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Leitheußer: What does the surname Leitheußer mean?
The last name Leitheußer is of German origin. The meaning of this surname is “liege lord,” alluding to a noble title held by a feudal landlord. This noble family would have derived their ancestry from an ancient Germanic tribe from the region known today as Schleswig Holstein, an area that borders Germany and Denmark. The family may have held a large amount of land rights in this region at one time.
The suffix of the name “eüsser” is a patronymic form which means “son of”, transforming the name from "Leithe" to Leitheußer. The prefix of the name could refer to either the German word “Leiten”, which means to direct, or “Leith” which is a lowland or area of marshland.
Leitheußer is an uncommon last name and mainly found in Germany. Those with this surname tended to be powerful members of German society and may have been members of the ruling class during this period. Many descendants may still live in and around Schleswig Holstein, as well as across Europe.
Order DNA origin analysisLeitheußer: Where does the name Leitheußer come from?
The last name Leitheußer is particularly common in the German-speaking countries in Europe. In Germany it ranks among the 500 most popular surnames, with 205,168 individuals carrying it in 2017. Austria comes in second place, with nearly 50,000 individuals carrying the name. Switzerland, the Netherlands and France also have significant numbers of people with this surname.
The name has its origins in the German language, and it is composed of two parts. The first is the word “Leit”, which means “leading”, and the second is “Heußer”, which means “servant”. The name would have once been given to someone who was in a position of leadership or authority.
The name is most heavily concentrated around some of the larger cities in Germany, such as Berlin and Munich, and extends to neighboring regions including Switzerland, Austria and France. Because of this, the surname is still fairly common in this region, and it remains a popular choice for newborns.
However, it is also found in other countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with smaller numbers in the UK, South Africa, Brazil and India. That said, it is still significantly more widespread in Central and Northern Europe, and is not as popular elsewhere.
Variations of the surname Leitheußer
The surname Leitheußer has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The most common variant is Lehtheuser, which accounts for over 95% of all occurrences of the name. Other variants include Leitheser, Leithewser, Leythewer, Leydhowser, Laidheiser, Laidehuser, Leidheuser, Laidehower, Liedhauser, Liedhseser, Liedheiser, Laidehser, Liedhewsker and Liedheiszer.
The surname is derived from the German word "Leitheuser", which means "living in the woods/forest". In some cases, the surname may also be derived from the Middle High German word "Leidheuser", which translates as "inhabitant of the woods" or "woodland dweller".
In addition to the many spellings of the same name, there are also a few surnames that are derived from the same origin as Leitheußer but with different spellings. These include, Leithhüser, Lehdauser, Liedhauser, Laethhueser, Laeithueser, Leithausen, Liethausen, Leithin, Liethausen, Liedhaus and Liebhueser.
The surname Leitheußer is quite common in many German-speaking countries such as, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein. It is also quite common in other countries that have German-speaking populations such as, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Since the surname has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin, it is important to check all the different forms of the surname to ensure that you are searching for the right family member. This is especially true in countries with large German-speaking populations since the same name can be spelled in many different ways.
Famous people with the name Leitheußer
- Arthur Leitheusser (aka Hobo Arthur), Canadian folk artist
- Erich Leitheusser, German Western novelist
- Günther Leitheusser, Austrian composer and choirmaster
- Laisa Leitheusser, Brazilian Samaritan
- Oskar Wilhelm Leitheusser, German botanist
- Martin Leitheusser, German ski-jumper
- Armand Leitheusser, Canadian author and publisher
- Georgette Leitheusser, Austrian performing artist
- Helene Leitheusser, Austrian actress
- Ella Leitheusser, Austrian gymnast