Leech is an occupational name that carries the memory of an old and respected calling.
Where does the Leech name come from?
Leech is an occupational surname from the Middle English word leche, meaning a physician or healer — the same word that gave the medicinal leech its name, from the practice of bloodletting. A family bearing the name descended from an ancestor who was a doctor or man of medicine. The name came to Ireland with English settlers, though in Gaelic Ireland medical learning was itself a hereditary profession, which gave the name a natural place once it arrived.
Leech in Ireland
As a settler name, Leech became established mainly in the eastern and midland counties and in areas of English influence, and is recorded in Irish sources from the later medieval period onward. Its numbers have always been modest but steady. Today Leech is found in Ireland and among the diaspora in the United States, Canada, Australia and Britain.
Related Irish family names
Carry the Leech name with you
From a keepsake ornament to a garden flag, our Leech heritage range lets you keep the family name close. Search the Leech name to see the full collection of gifts and keepsakes.
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Leech mean?
It is an occupational name from the Middle English leche, meaning a physician or healer.
Is Leech an Irish name?
Leech is English in origin but has been carried by Irish families for centuries, especially in the eastern and midland counties.
Is there a Leech family crest?
Families of the name have heraldic traditions; the crest and tartan artwork on our Leech products is created as decorative heritage artwork to celebrate the name.
