Surname Leddy - Meaning and Origin
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Leddy: What does the surname Leddy mean?
The last name Leddy is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Irish surname Ó Laoidhigh or Ó Laoidhigh, which means “descendant of Laoidhigh”. Laoidhigh comes from the Irish word “laoidheach”, meaning “a poet or filí”. It is believed to come from the Latin word “laideus”, meaning “laughter”.
The Leddy surname is most commonly associated with the province of Connacht in the Republic of Ireland, with the most significant amount of people with the surname in that region being found in the counties of Mayo and Galway.
The Leddy surname is also seen in Scotland, most notably in the Scottish Highland region. It is believed to have the same Gaelic Irish roots, and to represent a similar meaning, as it does in Ireland.
The meaning of the last name Leddy is strongly associated with writing and art. The original bearers of this surname were likely known as individuals involved in either writing, the making of literature, or the telling of stories, and the name is now viewed as a proud symbol of those who once had the gift of bringing these things to life. In modern times, it functions as a reminder of how creative and determined people can be, no matter their circumstances or surroundings.
Order DNA origin analysisLeddy: Where does the name Leddy come from?
The last name Leddy is most commonly found in the United States and Ireland. In the United States, the surname is most commonly found in its original spelling, “Leddy”, while in Ireland the surname “Leddy” most commonly appears as “Liddy”. The name Leddy is also found in England and Scotland, but to a lesser extent.
In the United States, the highest concentration of the surname Leddy is found in Pennsylvania, followed by New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio. There are also pockets of high concentration in California and Florida. In Ireland, the highest concentration of the surname Liddy is found in County Mayo and County Tipperary, with pockets of the name also found in Cork, Limerick, and Dublin.
Overall, Leddy is a fairly uncommon name, but it can be found in pockets around the world. It is likely derived from the Irish “Ó’Laoide”, and may have originally referred to an ancestor with particular skill in the teaching of Gaelic. The name is likely derived from the oldest surviving poem in Irish Gaelic, written around 300 A.D. which mentions a teacher by the name of Laoidheadh.
Variations of the surname Leddy
The surname Leddy is of Irish origin. It is an anglicised version of the Irish surname Ó Lideadha, which means “descendant of Lideadh”. The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for Leddy include the following:
• Ó Lideadha: This is the original Irish spelling of this surname, and it originates from the legendary Irish king Lideadh.
• Leddy: This is the anglicised version of the Irish surname and it is also sometimes spelt as “Ledy”.
• Mac Leod: This is an alternative spelling used for the surname and originates from the Scottish-Gaelic “MacLeod”, meaning "son of Leddy".
• Mac Leddy: This is another alternative spelling and it is a combination of both the Irish and Scottish spellings of the surname.
• Reidy: This is another spelling variation of the surname and is derived from the Irish-Gaelic “Ó Raidí”, meaning “descendant of Raidí”, a personal name believed to be taken from the Irish word “raid”, meaning “poet or king”.
• O'Redy: This is an alternative spelling of Reidy.
• MacRedy: This is a combination of the Irish-Gaelic “Mac”, which means “son of”, and the Irish surname “Reidy”.
The surname Leddy is a common Irish surname, and its variants are still used in different areas throughout Ireland today.
Famous people with the name Leddy
- Mark Leddy: An American actor, comedian, and screenwriter who appeared in the films Tootsie, Zero Hour!, and IGNITE.
- Patrick Leddy: an American film producer best known for his work on films such as Rambo III, Ran, The Last Emperor, The Last Samurai, and Avatar.
- Mary Leddy: an English novelist, best remembered for her debut novel Miss Kitty's Memorial.
- Kelly Leddy: an American film producer, best known for producing films like Vic, The Jealousy Game, and Go Fish Go.
- Joseph Leddy: an American Catholic cardinal whose writings about social justice influenced generations for decades.
- Sean Leddy: an American professional ice hockey player who played for the National Hockey League's New York Islanders.
- James Leddy: an American television and film writer best known for writing the screenplays for Silent Hill, Elevator, and Alucarda.
- Robert Leddy: an American collegiate basketball coach and former college and professional basketball player in the 1940s and 1950s.
- Sangai Leddy: a Tanzanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Tanzanian Premier League club Azam.
- Chris Leddy: a former American football running back who played in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers.