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Leu


The term “Leu” descends from High-Alemannic (German) and means simply “Lion”. This language and its related ethnicity can only be found in Switzerland. Therefore, the “Urheimat” of “Leu” (in exact that relation) is to a very high chance this region.

"The name means "lion" indicating a strong, courageous man. Middle High German Lewe/Lev means lion. The name evolved from Leones to Leu. The first recordings of the name I have found were: Waltherus and Uolricus Leones of Wiedinkon, Switzerland in 1229. Next we have Hyltboldus Loew in Oberstrass in 1276, Uely Loew and his wife in Hochfelden (Hittnau) in 1468, Hainrich Löw 1479/1481 in Benken. Jakob Leu married Katharina Keller in Benken in 1557. Another older spelling is "Loi" All the above are in the canton of Zürich. Many of the German Palatinates came originally from Switzerland - some via Alsace. On the family history web page (LDS) there are many Leu's listed in the Swiss section.
Other assumptions like Germany are not truthfully durable. It’s much more presumably that “Leu” people out of such regions are itself immigrants from the original Swiss home-location.

More information about High-Alemannic can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Alemannic_German

In Swiss, there are three “main-lands” of the “Lions”:

1. Canton Luzern, with the villages Unterebersol / Oberebersol, Günikon, Hohenrain and Kleinwangen, and probably a few others.

2. Canton Schaffhausen, the village Hemmental

3. Canton Bern, essentially the region of Emmental

The exact relatives of these “clans” are unclear, some close or far kinsmanlike relations are assumed. The “Lions” form Bern were in contrast to the other two not catholic, they were (mostly) Protestants. Please note, such legacy separations today no longer exist, the people will married over the borders of confessions / religions.

There are some other, more or les, abstruse origin-theories. Some Jewish people see for example a link between the names “Leu” and “Levi”. Other notice the true sense / origin of that name in the high virility of the animal lion, - a very amusing consideration.

The name Leu comes from the following villages:

Leu Laufenburg Aargau
Leu Oberrüti Aargau
Leu Schinznach Bad Aargau
Leu Burgistein Bern
Leu Huttwil Bern
Leu Kleindietwil Bern
Leu Leimiswil Bern
Leu Mattstetten Bern
Leu Ochlenberg Bern
Leu Rohrbach Bern
Leu Rohrbachgraben Bern
Leu Rütschelen Bern
Leu Seeberg Bern
Leu Wynigen Bern
Leu Bilten Glarus
Leu Näfels Glarus
Leu Hohenrain Luzern
Leu Inwil Luzern
Leu Littau Luzern
Leu Luzern Luzern
Leu Rain Luzern
Leu Ruswil Luzern
Leu Schongau Luzern
Leu Winikon Luzern
Leu Gossau St. Gallen
Leu St.Gallen St. Gallen
Leu Altdorf Schaffhausen
Leu Bargen Schaffhausen
Leu Hemmental Schaffhausen
Leu Merishausen Schaffhausen
Leu Witterswil Solothurn
Leu Küssnacht am Rigi Schwitz
Leu Benken Zürich
Leu Zürich Zürich

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