Find out how popular the last name Letts is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Letts.

Letts, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Letts surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Letts in America

Letts is the 13010th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Letts surname appeared 2,359 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Letts.

We can also compare 2010 data for Letts to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Letts

The surname Letts originated in England during the late Middle Ages, primarily in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. It derived from the Old English word "let," meaning "one who allows or permits." This likely referred to a gatekeeper, a profession associated with the name in its early usage.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled "Lette." This document, a survey of land ownership in parts of England, mentions a John Lette from Norfolk. The Letts name also surfaces in various 14th-century records from the region.

In the 15th century, the name began appearing in its modern spelling of "Letts." The Subsidy Rolls of 1524 list a Thomas Letts from Beccles, Suffolk, and a John Letts from Bury St. Edmunds, also in Suffolk. These records suggest the name was well-established in East Anglia by this time.

Notable individuals bearing the Letts surname include William Letts (c.1535-1584), a yeoman from Lincolnshire who was involved in a notable court case concerning property rights. Another early figure was John Letts (c.1556-1624), a merchant and landowner from Norfolk.

In the 17th century, the Letts name spread more widely across England. One prominent figure was Sir John Letts (1618-1692), a wealthy merchant and member of the East India Company who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1676.

During the 18th century, the name continued to appear in various records. One noteworthy individual was Thomas Letts (1753-1826), a respected engraver and cartographer from London who produced several highly regarded maps and atlases.

Other notable Letts include the author and journalist Edmund Letts (1825-1913), best known for his work on the literary journal The Athenoum, and the architect and designer John Letts (1878-1952), who designed several notable buildings in London in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Letts

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Letts.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Letts was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Letts has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Letts was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Letts, please contact us.

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