Leyba vs. Leyva

Truth is I see the name Leyva far more often than Leyba.  Just today, FC Dallas midfielder Bryan Leyva has been called up by the Mexican Under-17 Men’s National Team for participation in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria.  I’ve also seen another Leyva soccer player, Fatima Leyva, 28, who is a highly rated midfielder who plays for FC Indiana. She joined FC Indiana in 2005, and helped the club to two league and two cup titles in four seasons. She has played 45 times for Mexico, scoring four goals.

I found some message boards talking about the Leyva/Leyba/Leiva/Leiba name. One site said it is “Spanish: variant of Leiva, which is the habitational name a place called Leiva, chiefly the one in La Rioja province and to a lesser extent the one in Murcia.”

I’ve also found boards saying the name maybe of Sepharic Spanish/Jew and part of the Israel Tribe of Levi. The Tribe of Levi was scattered & the Leyba/Leyva’s are part of that lost tribe.  They were prosecuted as Jews and made to give up their culture and claim Spanish decent due to the the Catholic Church.

Anybody know any better?

BTW, when I Google “Leyba and Soccer” I come up #4 and that’s my Linkedin profile.  You’ll soon realize after watching me play soccer with the Indomitable Drinky Crows that soccer is better left to the Leyva’s.