Leatherman
An occupational surname for a dealer in leather, or perhaps for someone connected with a leather worker.
The #6,033 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 54,204 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Leatherman is transparently English in form: it combines 'leather' with 'man'. In surname use, it would originally have referred to a person involved in the leather trade, especially a dealer or seller of leather goods. Some early writers also suggested it could mean 'the man of Leather' or 'servant of Leather,' but the occupational explanation is the clearest.
History
Nineteenth-century surname writers recorded Leatherman as an English occupational name and cited medieval spellings such as Letherman. The surname is uncommon, but it follows a familiar English pattern in which trades and roles became hereditary family names. It is also found in variant spellings such as Latherman and Letherman.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname collectors grouped Leatherman with other straightforward trade names like Baker, Maltman, and Joyner.
From the historical record
“Iieatherman, Latherman.— Occup. 'the leatherman,' a dealer in leather. Possibly the man or servant of Leather; v. Leather and Matthewman. Adam Letherman, C R., II Edw. lU.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances