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The origin of the Leonhardt, Leonhard, Leonard surname is most likely a situation where a given name/first name (often the name of a Saint) became a family surname which likely occured about the year 1100. To understand this better, one must have a little knowledge of who St. Leonhard/Leonard was.
St. Leonhard(t) (b. abt. 466 d. abt. 559) was a Frankish nobleman who worked in the Court of Clovis I. Some researchers indicate he was a cousin of Clovis I. Clovis I was the son of Childeric, King of the Franks (a German tribe). Clovis I would follow his father and also become King of the Franks.
St. Leonhard(t) was born in Frankish lands located along the Main River - most likely in the Nurnberg area or possibly Frankfurt. In 485, King Clovis I and his forces crossed the northern Rhein River and invaded Roman occupied Gaul which is today modern France. St. Leonhard(t) migrated with these forces into Gaul. Perhaps at the time he was a foot soldier. The Romans were defeated in 486. On Christmas 496, Clovis I, King of Franks, converted to Christianity in Rheims. He was the first King of Franks to do so. With him on that day was St. Leonhard(t) who also converted. Upon Clovis I's death in 511, the Frank held lands of modern France and nearly 1/2 of modern Germany would be subdivided among Clovis I's four sons.
Clovis I's eldest son Theuderic would get Austrasia (Kingdom of Rheims) which was much of modern Germany (north and south of the Main River and east and west of the Rhein River); Chlodomer would get Neustria (Kingdom of Orleans) in central France; Childebert would get the Kingdom of Paris which stretched to the northwest coastal area of France; and Clotaire would get the Kingdom of Soissons which was much of southwest France. From 511 until 751 there was much disunity between these Kingdoms especially between widowed Queens Brunhilda and Fredegund who had married grandsons of Clovis I.
St. Leonhard(t) would later denounce the life of a nobleman and live as a hermit. It is during this time as a hermit that most of his miracles are said to have occured. Some seem to have occured after his death. He is entombed in St. Leonard de Noblat, Haute-Vienne, France - in a very old Romanesque Cathedral bearing his name. He is known as the Patron Saint of the; Horses and all the farm animals; Individuals that work in the Fields; Prisoners and the Captured; Women in Labor; Peddlars and Carters. His Feast Day is November 6 and is still celebrated widely throughout Europe.
From the time of St. Leonhard(t)'s death in 599 until about the 1080's, not too much was heard or documented on St. Leonhard(t). Some prisoners and captives held during the early crusades are said to have been released after praying for their release invoking the name of St. Leonhard(t). During the 1100's, somewhat of a cult following was developed around the legacy of St. Leonhard(t). It is after this time we begin to see churches erected to honor him.
It is during this time late 1000's to early 1100's that surnames were first developed by those of middle nobility. It seems highly probable that an individual already with the Leonhardt given name would decide to use this as his surname or family name.
Based on modern surname distribution maps in Germany and in church documents, it appears like the oldest location for the surname Leonhardt is in the Chemnitz/Dresden/Meissen, Saxony area. Three other areas seem to have old Leonhardt family concentrations as well. Two of these are located in Baden-Wuerttemberg (Karlsruhe/Boblingen area and Freiburg/Emmendingen area). The third is located between Frankfurt and Darmstadt, Hessen in the immediate area of Sprendlingen/Offenbach. These populations date at least back to the late 1500's and likely earlier. It seems possible for this to be a situation where a knight (named Leonhardt) from the Meissen, Saxony area was assigned to a Burg (or fortress) in the Baden (and or southern Hessen) area and perhaps a couple with the name were involved. It is from these three focus regions that the Leonhardt's of Germany emerged. Today, there are an estimated 12,000 persons with the Leonhardt spelling in Germany; 3700 with Leonhard; and 613 with Leonard.
In France today, there are an estimated 6000 persons with the Leonard spelling with far fewer with the Leonhardt or Leonhard spellings. In France, the Leonhardts and Leonhards are concentrated most in the Moselle/Bas Rhin areas that border the Rhein-Pfalz area of Germany. Those with the Leonard spelling are also found in the Moselle area but also have a high concentration in Haute-Vienne area in central France where St. Leonard is entombed.
Could this be a situation where all these are actually true descendants of St. Leonhard(t) and migrated from France into the Rheinland and Baden? I do not believe this is the case. It seems more likely that sons were born with a given name in an honor to St. Leonhardt and during the time surnames began to be used the given name Leonhard(t) was selected as a family name in at least one area and perhaps two or three areas.
During the mass migrations of Germans from the Rhein-Pfalz, Baden-Wurttemberg, and Hessen areas during the mid-late 1700's, Leonhardts were involved. After sailing north on the Rhein River, they changed ships in Holland (Netherlands) and sailed to a port in England. These migrants initially were a burden on the British and often were in tent camps around London and other cities. As early as 1709, these migrants were shipped elsewhere. Most were transported to the colonies in North America (New York; New Bern, NC; and short while later Philadelphia). Some however, were transported to Ireland. Some would remain in England.
During the later migrations of the mid 1800's and on into the 1900's, emigrants left from all ports in Germany, so their origins could be from anywhere.
My Leonhardt ancestor (Valentine Leonhardt) emigrated from Katzenbach, Rheinland in 1746. After a few years in Philadelphia, he with young family would migrate down Great Wagon Road and finally settle in old Rowan Co., NC (now Davidson Co., NC). It is very clear to me that the Leonhardts of the Rhein-Pfalz had earlier origins in the Karlsruhe area of Baden dating there to at least as early as the late 1500's and likely earlier. This line would soon use the Leonard spelling after settling in North Carolina.
Ray Haupt
Grandmother was a Leonhardt/Leonard
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