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

Lit, 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 Lit surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lit in America

Lit is the 96799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lit surname appeared 188 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Lit.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lit 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 Lit

The surname Lit originated in Germany and the Netherlands during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old German word "lito" meaning "gentle" or "mild." In its earliest form, the name was spelled as "Lite" or "Lyte."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Liteman." This suggests that the name was already present in England by the 11th century, likely brought over by German or Dutch settlers.

During the 13th century, the name Lit appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire and the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire. These records often mentioned individuals with the surname Lit, indicating their involvement in legal proceedings or land disputes.

In the Netherlands, the name Lit was associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Jan Lit (1325-1391), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Amsterdam. Another notable bearer of the name was Pieter Lit (1480-1554), a Dutch painter and engraver known for his religious works.

In Germany, the Lit surname can be traced back to the 14th century. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Hans Lit (1370-1435), a wealthy landowner from the region of Bavaria. In the 16th century, Johann Lit (1512-1587) was a renowned Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg.

Moving to the British Isles, the name Lit gained prominence in the 17th century. William Lit (1610-1675) was an English lawyer and politician who served as a member of the House of Commons during the English Civil War. Another notable figure was Thomas Lit (1650-1718), a Scottish clergyman and author who wrote several religious texts.

In the 18th century, the Lit surname appeared in various parts of Europe. In France, Jean-Baptiste Lit (1725-1789) was a prominent architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Paris. In Italy, Antonio Lit (1740-1810) was a renowned composer and violinist who served as a court musician in Naples.

Throughout the 19th century, the Lit surname continued to be present across Europe and beyond. In the United States, William Lit (1820-1892) was a wealthy industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Lit Steel Company in Pittsburgh. In Australia, George Lit (1845-1914) was a pioneering settler and farmer who played a significant role in the development of the country's agricultural industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lit

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

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 Lit 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 Lit 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 Lit was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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