Surname Leidig - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'L'
Leidig: What does the surname Leidig mean?
The surname Leidig is typically German and derives from the personal name Leidig, which is derived from the Germanic element leid meaning "people". It is thought that the name was first adopted as a surname to denote someone who was the son of the first bearer of the personal name Leidig. Over time, the name became an official surname throughout Germany and into other European countries.
Leidig is a surname that often has been associated with many different spellings. Originally spelled Leidig, the common variant spelling of the name is Leidy. Other known variants include lida, leadig, laydig, laydick, laydecker, leidecker, leidecker, leidiger, leidig, and leydick, among others.
The Leidig surname occurs mostly in Germany and also in Russia. It is also uncommon in England, Scotland, and Wales, but is present mainly in Middlesex. In the United States, the most prevalent Leidig surname is found in Pennsylvania, the state with the largest population of the name.
In addition to the Leidig surname, other forms of the same root word can be found in other German surnames such as Widick, Leydig, Laidig, and Laydegaard, which are all unisex or gender-neutral surnames.
In summary, the last name Leidig is a German surname derived from the personal name Leidig. This surname is still commonly found in German countries today, and is also present in other places such as the United States and England. There are many different spelling variants of Leidig, as well as other surnames that share the same root word.
Order DNA origin analysisLeidig: Where does the name Leidig come from?
The last name Leidig is of German origin and is most commonly found in Germany and the United States today. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "leiten" which means "lead" or "guide" and likely signified people who had leadership qualities. It is not particularly popular in any other countries.
In Germany, there are about 1,100 people with the last name Leidig, primarily concentrated in Bavaria, Thuringia, Brandenburg, and Saxony. It ranks 5,911th in frequency among all surnames in the country.
In the United States, the name Leidig is less common than in Germany, but still has a sizeable population, with approximately 1,300 people bearing the last name. It is most concentrated in Pennsylvania, where it is the 5,592th most common surname. While some Leidig families also trace their roots to Germany, it is likely that some are descendants of immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Overall, the last name Leidig is most commonly found in Germany and the United States, although it also can be found in other countries with German-speaking populations, such as Austria, Switzerland, and Hungary. Although it is not particularly common, it is far from rare and many of its holders still reside in its countries of origin.
Variations of the surname Leidig
The surname Leidig is found in many countries and is believed to be of Germanic and Swiss-German origin. Variants of the name can include Leidy, Leith, Layd, Laid, Laidig, Laydee, Laidy, Ledig, Leedig, Leedigke, Leidigke, Leidjke, Leitig, Leydiker, Leydik, Leydig, Leidike, Leidjk, Leytig, Lehdke, Leedik, Leydek, Leytscha, and Leydig.
Many of these variants are derived from the combination of several ancient language roots, such as ‘Leyde’, which is derived from the German word for ‘poem’, the Dutch word for ‘life’, and the Old High German word ‘weg’, meaning ‘way’. This combination offers the symbolic meaning of ‘the path of life’.
The earliest known sources of the surname can be traced back to the 1500s in Switzerland, where the spelling was usually found as Leydegger. It was most common in the cantons of Zurich and Schwyz and the surrounding region. Over time, the spelling has changed and evolved into many of the other forms found today.
Surnames that are believed to have a close relation to Leidig include Leybke, Leydegger, Leiwegger, Leibee or Lebould, Leibold, Leidert, Leidner, Leie, Liebold, Liebke, Lienhart, Lienke, Lientz, Liepold, Leike, Leininger, Leead, Leeddig, Liedig, and Lieder.
Although the spelling of the surnames has changed over the centuries, and some of the variants have changed to the point of becoming different names entirely, all of the names mentioned are believed to have the same origin.
Famous people with the name Leidig
- Shawna Leidig: former basketball player in the WNBA who won a championship with the Seattle Storm in 2004.
- Dan Leidig: former defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders who played in the NFL from 1987-1990.
- Markus Leidig: German professional skier who competes in alpine skiing events.
- Tom Leidig: American professional football player who played in the Arena Football League from 2008-2010.
- Linda Leidig: German classical pianist and a professor of piano at the Hochschule fur Musik und Tanz Koln in Cologne, Germany.
- Jeff Leidig: former Major League Baseball pitcher, who played for the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Philadelphia Phillies from 1987-1991.
- Bill Leidig: American writer and professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.
- Laura Leidig: American former tennis player who reached rankings as high as No. 34 in the world during the early 1990s.
- Tim Leidig: American professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation and later Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
- Paul Leidig: American entrepreneur and co-founder of the media streaming company, Level 3 Communications.