| ![Show Contents]() Ledwith History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of LedwithWhat does the name Ledwith mean? When the Anglo-Normans began to settle in Ireland, they brought the tradition of local surnames to an island which already had a Gaelic naming system of hereditary surnames established. Unlike the Irish, the Anglo-Normans had an affinity for local surnames. Local surnames, such as Ledwith, were formed from the names of a place or a geographical landmark where the person lived, held land, or was born. The earliest Anglo-Norman surnames of this type came from Normandy, but as the Normans moved, they created names that referred to where they actually resided. Therefore, English places were used for names when the Normans lived in England, and then Irish places after these particular Anglo-Normans had been settled in Ireland for some time. Originally, these place names were prefixed by de, which means from in French. However, this type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or it was eliminated entirely. The surname Ledwith is generally believed to be derived from the ancient Germanic personal name Ludwig. This name is in turn derived from the Germanic elements "hlod" meaning "fame" and "wig" meaning "war". The earliest reference to the surname Ledwidge is a record of one Roger de Ledewich who was recorded in Shropshire in 1221. 1 The Ledwith family originally lived in the settlement of Ledwyche in the English county of Shropshire, or in a place called Ledwich or Leftwich in the neighboring county of Cheshire. The surname Ledwith belongs to the large category of Anglo-Norman habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Early Origins of the Ledwith familyThe surname Ledwith was first found in Cheshire, where they held a family seat from early times. They are conjecturally descended from Walter de Vernon who was granted the lands by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. They held a family seat at Ledwich or Leftwich in that county. It is believed that the name was introduced to Ireland by Anglo-Norman settlers circa 1270. The name first became established in Co. Meath and bearers were recorded among the nobility of that county in documents dated 1329. The surname later spread to Co. Westmeath where it is celebrated in the place-name Ledwichtown. Early History of the Ledwith familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ledwith research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1200, 1270, 1329, 1598, 1737, 1823 and 1858 are included under the topic Early Ledwith History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ledwith Spelling VariationsMedieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Ledwith revealed many spelling variations including Ledwich, Ledwidge, Ledwedge and others. Early Notables of the Ledwith familyMore information is included under the topic Early Ledwith Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Ledwith migration to the United States | + |
Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape the horrific conditions. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Ledwith:
Ledwith Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Garrett Ledwith, who arrived in Virginia in 1696 2
Ledwith Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Morris Ledwith, who landed in America in 1851 2
| Contemporary Notables of the name Ledwith (post 1700) | + |
- Anastasia Ledwith (1967-2024), American disc jockey
- Thomas A. Ledwith (1840-1898), American lawyer and politician, Member of the New York State Assembly (1863)
- Michael Ledwith (1874-1929), American Major League Baseball catcher who played one game for the Brooklyn Atlantics in 1874
- William M. Ledwith, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Jacksonville, Florida, 1882-85; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 1888 3
- Thomas A. Ledwith (1840-1898), American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County 11th District, 1863; Member of New York State Senate 7th District, 1874-75 3
- Charles H. Ledwith (1885-1954), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State Senate 13th District, 1939-40; Candidate for Mayor of Meriden, Connecticut, 1939 3
- Dr. Michael Ledwith, Irish author and teacher at Ramtha's School of Enlightenment
- Martin Ledwith, Scottish actor, known for Comes a Bright Day (2012) and Heartbeat (1992)
- Anthony Ledwith CBE, FRS (b. 1933), British chemist, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry from 1998 to 2000
- Jean Ledwith King (1924-2021), American attorney, teacher, political activist, and women's rights activist, inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 1989
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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