Lea is a surname. It may refer to:
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Lea is an English surname, originating from Old English (Lēah) prior to the Norman Conquest of England in the year 1066. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, an infusion of Norman, French, and Latin entered into the lexicon of England, resulting in the development of multiple spelling variants of the surname into a variety of phonetic alternatives. Examples of these variations include the more frequently seen version of the surname, "Lee", this version of the surname is the most popular and is appealing as it is easier for others to pronounce properly. Whereas the "a" is silent in Lea, it is often mistakenly pronounced with an "ah" sound at the end of the name, leading to a degree of annoyance among holders of the surname. Some lesser occurring but still notable versions of the surname Lea include: Lei, Ley, and Leigh. The surname Lea means, meadow, pasture, field, or an open clearing of space in a wooded area. There are parallel names in other Germanic languages such as "Loo" in Dutch or "Lōh" in Old High German with identical meanings. Lea is still a surviving surname in areas of southern England. Lea has also existed in North America since 1608 with the arrival of the English immigrant William Lea (son of Nicholas Lea, Waterford County, Ireland [Englishman not Irish]) to King and Queen Co., Virginia Colony. Leas were among some of the very first immigrants to come to North America from England in the 17th century, and historically hailed from the southern United States in places such as Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Leas in the 19th century spread into the upper midwest as well, and by the mid-20th century had reached as far west as southern California. Today, Lea is a very small percentage of the English surnames in the United States, with most American Leas able to trace back their ancestry to William Lea or one of his two brothers who came with him to Virginia in 1608.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lea
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