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

Littell, 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 Littell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Littell in America

Littell is the 14363rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Littell surname appeared 2,082 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 Littell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Littell 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 Littell

The surname Littell is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "lytel" or "litel," meaning "little" or "small." This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone of small stature or as a distinguishing marker for the younger of two individuals with the same given name.

The earliest recorded instances of the Littell surname can be traced back to the late 12th century in various regions of England, such as Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. It was initially spelled in various ways, including Litel, Littel, Lyttel, and Lyttell, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that may be early references to the Littell name, such as "Litellus" and "Littel." However, these entries could also refer to individuals with the given name "Little" rather than a surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Littell surname was John Littel, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1204. In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Assize Rolls of Somerset (1278), where a William Lyttel was listed.

The Littell surname was also associated with several place names in England, such as Littell Green in Buckinghamshire and Littell Paunton in Lincolnshire. These place names likely derived from the Old English words "lytel" or "litel" and may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in those regions.

Notable individuals with the Littell surname throughout history include:

1. Robert Littell (1833-1888), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st Governor of New Jersey from 1892 to 1896.

2. Franklin H. Littell (1917-2009), an American United Methodist minister, scholar, and author known for his work on the Holocaust and Christian-Jewish relations.

3. John S. Littell (1804-1838), an American publisher and journalist who founded the Littell's Living Age magazine in 1844.

4. Eliakim Littell (1797-1870), an American journalist and publisher who established The Museum of Foreign Literature and Science in 1822.

5. Robert Littell (born 1935), an American novelist and former novelist known for his spy fiction novels, including The Company and The Defection of A.J. Lewinter.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Littell

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

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

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

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