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

Littlefield, 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 Littlefield surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Littlefield in America

Littlefield is the 3670th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Littlefield surname appeared 9,707 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Littlefield.

We can also compare 2010 data for Littlefield 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 Littlefield

The surname Littlefield originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "lyttel" meaning small or little, and "feld" meaning field or open land. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a small field or a small area of cultivated land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Littlefield can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Litelfelde in the county of Essex.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved into various spellings such as Littlefeld, Lytelfelde, and Littelfeld. These variations were common during the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir John Littlefield, a knight who fought alongside Edward III during the Hundred Years' War against France. He was born in 1320 and died in 1385.

During the 16th century, the Littlefield family established themselves as prominent landowners in the county of Sussex. One member, Richard Littlefield, was a wealthy merchant who served as a sheriff of Sussex in 1567.

In the 17th century, several Littlefields emigrated to the American colonies. One of the earliest arrivals was Edmund Littlefield, who settled in Newbury, Massachusetts, in 1637. He later became a prominent figure in the local community and served as a selectman and a deputy to the General Court.

Another notable bearer of the name was Nathaniel Littlefield, a soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1746 in Newbury, Massachusetts, and served as a private in the Continental Army.

In the 19th century, Humphrey Littlefield, born in 1824 in England, was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Old City Hall in Toronto, Canada.

Throughout history, the Littlefield surname has been associated with various professions, including farming, military service, merchanting, and architecture. While the name originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly North America, due to immigration and family migrations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Littlefield

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

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

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

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