Leech (surname)

Leech is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

surname, originally denoting a

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

(in reference to the medical practice of

bloodletting Bloodletting (or blood-letting) is the withdrawal of blood from a patient to prevent or cure illness and disease. Bloodletting, whether by a physician or by leeches, was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and other bodily flu ...

). Notable people with the surname include: *

Allen Leech Allen Leech (born 18 May 1981) is an Irish actor best known for his role as Tom Branson on the historical drama series ''Downton Abbey'' and as Paul Prenter in the 2018 biopic ''Bohemian Rhapsody''. He made his professional acting debut with a s ...

(born 1981), Irish stage, television and film actor * Andrew Leech (born 1952), English cricketer *

Faith Leech Faith Yvonne Leech (31 March 1941 – 14 September 2013) was an Australian freestyle swimmer who won a gold medal in the 4×100–metre freestyle relay and bronze in the 100-metre freestyle at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. A tall a ...

(1941–2013), Australian freestyle swimmer * Fred Leech (1923–2001), English footballer *

Geoffrey Leech Geoffrey Neil Leech FBA (16 January 1936 – 19 August 2014) was a specialist in English language and linguistics. He was the author, co-author, or editor of over 30 books and over 120 published papers. His main academic interests were English ...

(1936–2014), specialist in English language and linguistics *

George L. Leech George Leo Leech (May 21, 1890 – March 12, 1985) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, from 1935 to 1971. Biography Early life George Leech was born on May 21, 1890, in ...

(1890–1985), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church *

George Leech (actor) George Leech (6 December 1921 – 17 June 2012) was a British film actor and stunt performer who was notable for his work on eleven James Bond films. Biography Leech was born in London and left school at 14. He was a boxer who won the ABA Nat ...

(1921–2012), British actor and stunt performer *

Gwyneth Leech Gwyneth Leech is an American artist. She is best known for her use of paper coffee cups as a canvas for her artistic pieces and for her paintings of high-rise construction projects. Career Leech began drawing on empty paper coffee cups during meet ...

, American artist * Haliburton Hume Leech (1908–1939), Royal Air Force aviator, air racer and test pilot *

James Russell Leech James Russell Leech (November 19, 1888 – February 5, 1952) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Biography J. Russell Leech was born in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. He attended the Mercersburg Academy, in M ...

(1888–1952), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania *

Kenneth Leech Kenneth Leech (15 June 1939 – 12 September 2015), also known as Ken Leech, was an English Anglican priest and Christian socialist in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. Life and career Leech was born into a secular working-class family in Ashton-und ...

(1939–2015), Anglican priest and Christian socialist *

Noyes Leech Noyes E. Leech (August 1, 1921 – July 1, 2010) was an American lawyer and professor. Early life and education Leech was born in Ambler, Pennsylvania, to Charles Sherman and Margaret (Reid) Leech. He attended Lower Merion High School (1939), an ...

(1921–2010), American law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School *

Margaret Leech Margaret Kernochan Leech (November 7, 1893 – February 24, 1974), also known as Margaret Pulitzer, was an American historian and fiction writer. She won the Pulitzer Prize for History both in 1942 (''Reveille in Washington'', Harper) (first woma ...

(1893–1974), American historian and fiction writer * Michelle Leech, Australian academic clinician-scientist and rheumatologist *

Richard Leech Richard Leeper McClelland (24 November 1922 – 24 March 2004), known professionally as Richard Leech, was an Irish actor. Richard Leeper McClelland was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Isabella Frances (Leeper) and Herbert Saunderson McCl ...

(1922–2004), Irish actor *

Richard Leech (tenor) Richard Leech (born March 26, 1957) is an American operatic tenor, recipient of the Richard Tucker Award in 1988, and particularly associated with lyric roles of the Italian and French repertories. Raised and educated in Vestal, New York, he atte ...

(born 1957), American operatic tenor * Ryan Leech (born 1979), Canadian trials mountain bike rider * Samuel Leech (1798–1848), sailor in the Royal Navy and the United States Navy during the War of 1812 *

William John Leech William John Leech (10 April 1881 – 16 July 1968) was an Irish painter. Biography Leech was born in Dublin the son of Anne Louisa née Garbois (1847–1921) and Professor Henry Brougham Leech LLD (1843–1921). He went to school at St Colum ...

(1881–1968), Irish painter {{commons category, Leech (surname) Occupational surnames Surnames English-language surnames English-language occupational surnames