This surname is derived from an occupation. 'the leech,' a physician; Middle English leche. 'Leche, medicus': Promptorium Parvulorum 'The divel made a reve for to preche, Or of a souter a shipman, or a leche.' Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales.

'Harpemakers, leches, and upholsters, Porters, fesycyens. and corsers.': Cocke Lorelle's Bote.

With Leachman, compare merchantman, PrieSt man, &c.

Edmund le Leche, Oxfordshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

William le Leche, Oxfordshire, ibid.

Robert le Leche, 1307. Writs of Parliament.

John le Leche. Riley's Memorials of London.

Robertus Leche, taverner, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

(a) Local, 'at the lache,' i.e. the lake. In Lancashire Leach has absorbed Lache (which see), which explains the commonness of that surname in that shire.

From Old English laece, 'doctor.' The medicus regis is often mentioned in old charters. Henry Leche held a tenement in Glasgow, 1325 (LCD., p. 157). Henry Leche, 'vallettus' to David de Bruys (Rot. Scot., p. 724,797), is later referred to in a safe conduct by Edward III of England in 1348 as "Hector medicus David de Bruys." From another reference to him in 1369 (RMS., I, 333) he turns out to be a MacBeth, perhaps one of the family of hereditary doctors of that name so famous in West Highland history. Wilham de (an error for 'le') Lech or Leche was burgess of Aberdeen, 1362 (REA., I, p. 105,106). He may be William Leche, merchant of Aberdeen, whose goods were plundered in England, 1370, when his ship was driven ashore in Kirklee Rode, Suffolk (Bain, IV, 158). John Leitch, canon of Glasgow, appears in 1363 as Leche, and in 1372 as Lithe (for Liche) or Leche. Robert Leche, seneschal to the earl of March and Moray, 1367 (RMS., I, 265). Ferchard Leche had a grant of lands in Assynt in 1386 to be held for the services of old due and wont (OPS., II, p. 695,704). The land of Thomas Leyche is mentioned in 1421 (RAA., II, 56). Patrick Leiche (Lech, Leich, Leche) appears several times as a canon of Glasgow between 1440—82, and built and endowed S. Mauchan's altar in the church there (REG.). John Leche had a garden in the same city in 1487 (LCD., p. 200). Gilbert Leiche was made burgess of Aberdeen, 1452 (NSCM., I, p. 13), and Alexander Leche, chaplain, a Scotsman, received letters of denization in England in 1484 (Bain, IV, 1500). Sir Archibald Lech, chaplain at Lismore, 1511 (Poltolloch Writs, p. 183), is Sir Archibald Leycthe, provost of Kilmun in 1520 (Cawdor, p. 135). Leatch 1779, Leeiche 1638, Leiche 1550, Liech 1767, Litch 1639. There was an old family of this name (Lech, Leech, Leich, Leitch) in Menteith in the sixteenth century who gave name to Leitchtown there, and the Leitches of Logie-Almond are said to have been a family of doctors. Andrew Leiche, preceptor of the grammar school of Brechin in 1580 is probably Andrew Leitche who was minister of Maritoun (Maryton), Montrose, 1587 (REB., 216,329). A tombstone in Maryton reads: "Heir lyis Villame Lietch and David Lieth tvoe briether soum tyme in Old Montrois" who died in 1666 (Jervise, I, p. 368). John Leech of Aberdeen, author of Rudimenta Grammaticae Latinse, London, 1624, Latinized his name Leochaeus in the fifteenth century the lands of Kildavanan in Bute were held by a family named Lech for a "yearly reddendo of two pennies or a pair of gloves within the parish church of Bute." John Lech, son of deceased Gilzequhome or Gilquhome, had a grant of these lands in June, 1429 (RMS., II,129), which had belonged by heritage to the same Gilzequhome. In 1466 or earlier Gilchrist Leiche, lord of Kilmavanane, granted to his son and heir, David Leiche, these same lands, except two acres called the Clours. See Macinleich.

A parish united with Marlston, co. Chester. Not in all cases to be confounded with Leech.