There is also a famous Disney engineer named Leota Toombs
Thomas who is the face of Madame Leota in the Haunted Mansion ride. There is also a Leota
Lane who was born in 1903, taking the name back even further than Leota Toombs.
Leota is also the name of many US cities and towns. I imagine it could have spun from the latter. A submitter of the name stated that it may have been
German in origin, but most bearers live in
America. If it is
German in origin, it may have ties as a diminutive of
Liselotte.