Lettow was a by-name given to a few Pomeranian nobles from a noble family from Vorbeck who went to assist Algirdas and Vytautas, the Great Dukes of Lithuania, in the 14th century. Lettow meant "Lithuania" in the Saxon language. With a few variants like Lettau, Lettaw, Litav, Littauer or Littawer, it was also adopted by some other Vorbeks in Pomerania as a surname. In Lithuania, later on, it was spelled Lettowt or Letowt, before the 20th century Lithuanian surname policy changed it to Letautas. Today, most people with the surname Lettow live in Germany and the United States, some in Holland as van Lettow, and a few in Austria, Latvia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, South America, and even in China.
Chronologically the following people have had the surname Lettow:
Ulryk Vorbek, landowner of Wittow in the Duchy of Rügen/Rugia; Lüblow, south of Łebsko Lake, and Stara Wieś near Lębork. With his first wife Sabina Segebadin he had 3 sons: Adrian, Reimar and Achacy. From his second wife Adelgunda Warninin was son Eryk, the ancestor of all below mentioned:
Maciej Vorbek-Lettow, born in Vilnius, Lithuania, medical doctor from the University of Padowa, major of Vilnius, for 19 years military medicus in Livonia for hetman of Lithuania, prince Krzysztof Radziwiłł. After that he became the personal physician, secretary and treasury courtier of Władysław IV Vasa, king of Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ruthenia, Prussia, Sweden, Courland, Semigalia and Livonia. His memoirs were Skarbnica pamięci. One of his sons:
* Krzysztof-Zbigniew-Wiktoryn Lettow-Vorbek, Nobility Marshal of Starodub district, Field Guard of Lithuania, king's secretary & treasury courtier for Lithuania, Colonel of Horse Cav., MP from Starodub, land judge, plus other functions and honors. His 2 sons were:
** Henryk Lettow-Vorbeck, general and baron in Berlin.
** Krystyn-Lucjan de Lettow, commander of Polish Royal Guards Horse Regiment. He had one son, Ludwik-Henryk Lettow-Vorbeck in Berlin, and two daughters, both of whom married Horse Royal Guards generals; one of the daughters, Zofia-Maria Lettow-Vorbeck, was the mother of Jan Henryk Dąbrowski, founder and chief commander of the Polish Legions in Italy under Napoleon, Senator-Voivode and Chief of the Army of Polish Kingdom; after him goes the Polish national anthem, "Mazurek Dąbrowskiego".
Oskar von Lettow-Vorbeck, professor, general. He was a distinguished Prussian military scholar/writer on tactics at the Berlin Military Academy.
Paul Karl von Lettow-Vorbeck, Prussian Army general from Węgorzyce. He was the father of:
* Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck, Prussian World War I general, called "The Lion of Africa". His grand daughter was Helene Duchess von Oldenburg.
