As Leist, Leister, Leistenmacher and Leistenschneider, this is pre 14th century medieval job descriptive German surname, which has been recorded in the USA since before the American Civil War of 1861 - 65. It described a maker of the famous wooden shoes depicted in many early Germanic drawings and specifically the wooden soles which were known as the leist. The surname as Leist or Leister is probably the same as the English surname ''Wood'' and described a wood cutter. Job descriptive surnames were those given to people when a son but sometimes a grandson, followed the original name holder into the same occupation. This was a continuity name, if they did not the name would die out. It is one of the earliest on register anywhere in the world with Herman Leiste being recorded as a burger of the city of Koln (Cologne), in the year 1165. Other interesting early recordings include Johan Leistenshneider, confusingly entered in the register of the town of Schlettstadt as a schumacher, in 1430, whilst Joducus Leistenschneider of Pecklesheim, is recorded in 1656. The coat of arms from Bamberg in Bavaria has the complex blazon - Quarterly, 1st & 3rd silver charged with a bunch of grapes, 2nd & 4th gold, a red bend, - a black inescutcheon charged with a silver shoe.

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