Surname Leite - Meaning and Origin
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Discovering Leite: My Ancestral Journey through IGENEA DNA Test
Embarking on a quest unraveling familial roots through the IGENEA DNA test has led to astonishing discoveries. The results helped map out the historical journey of the Leite surname from its Portuguese origins, revealing links to Sephardic Jewish heritage and connections to Northern Europe, providing a rich narrative woven into the fabric of my ancestry.
N. Leite
read moreLeite: What does the surname Leite mean?
The last name Leite is Portuguese in origin and is an occupational surname used to refer to people who work in the dairy industry, such as butter and cheese makers. Over time, the name has also been used to refer to farmers, as well as people who live near a dairy production facility. This is because, historically, a person who lived near the dairy plants, such as a storage house, was likely to be involved in the production or transport of dairy products.
The word "Leite" can literally be translated to the word "milk," making this name highly descriptive of the original bearers’ occupation. It is thought to have originated from the Latin word "lacte," which also means milk.
Today there are an estimated 3,000 people with the surname Leite living in Portugal and Brazil – two countries of Portuguese origin – and, to a lesser extent, in other countries and regions with Portuguese ancestry.
The Leite name is highly carried on in many families, giving it a sense of cultural longevity for many generations. In addition to being associated with the dairy industry, the name is also associated with a culture of pride, since it has become a symbol of the Portuguese people’s close ties to their traditional ways. The name Leite is likely to stick around for many more generations to come.
Order DNA origin analysisLeite: Where does the name Leite come from?
The last name Leite is most commonly found in Portugal, Brazil, Angola, and Cabo Verde.
In Portugal, Leite is a very common surname. In fact, it is the 66th most common surname in Portugal, with over 65,000 individuals carrying it. It is believed to originate from the Portuguese adjective “leite”, which translates to “milk”.
In Brazil, the last name Leite is also quite popular. It is the 407th most common surname in Brazil, with around 34,500 individuals that carry it. The origin of the name in Brazil has not been determined, but there is a possibility that it is related to the Portuguese origins.
In Angola, Leite is the 790th most common surname with around 5,300 individuals carrying it. There is no known origin of the name in Angola, but it is likely to be related to Portuguese.
Cabo Verde also holds a significant population of individuals bearing the name Leite. It ranks as the 496th most common surname in Cabo Verde, with close to 10,000 individuals carrying it. It is likely that this population originated from the Portuguese colonization of the country.
Overall, the last name Leite is most common in Portugal, Brazil, Angola, and Cabo Verde. Although the exact origins of the name are not clear in each country, there is likely a Portuguese link for each region.
Variations of the surname Leite
The surname Leite (or Leit) is derived from the Portuguese word “Leite” which means “milk”. It is a common surname in the Lusophone world.
Variations of this surname include the following spellings:
* Leite - the original Portuguese spelling
* Litte - a Latinized form of the name
* Leyte - a Loire French spelling
* Leit - a Breton form
* Letté - an Italian form
Surnames of the same origin include:
* Lait - Found primarily in French-speaking countries
* L'eite - Found predominantly in the French Caribbean
* Late - An archaic Welsh form of the name
* Lethy - A spelling found in English-speaking countries
* Leitay - A variation found in certain German-speaking areas
* Liite - A Scandinavian spelling
The surname is also found with a variety of other spellings including: delete, leitey, leyton, and liete.
The surname is a common name in Portugal, Spain, France, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Mozambique, Macau and East Timor. It is also found in other regions of the world, such as the United States and Canada, where immigrants and descendants of immigrants have adopted it.
Famous people with the name Leite
- Dany Nascimento Leite: Brazilian footballer
- Jandira Feghali Leite: Brazilian politician and former news anchor
- Francisco Leite dos Santos: Brazilian footballer
- Nuno Leite: Portuguese tennis player
- Bartolomeu Leite de Vasconcelos: Portuguese visual artist
- Itamar Augusto Cautiero Leite: Brazilian businessman and politician
- Roberto Leite Monteiro: Brazilian composer, arranger and producer
- Jorge Leite Ramos: Brazilian novelist and playwright
- José Matias Leite da Cunha: Portuguese judge, publisher and politician
- Francisco Leite de Paula Ribeiro de Sousa: Portuguese physician and author