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

Littleton, 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 Littleton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Littleton in America

Littleton is the 3581st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Littleton surname appeared 9,939 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 Littleton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Littleton 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 Littleton

The surname Littleton originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "lytel" meaning small and "tun" meaning a farm or settlement. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a small village or hamlet.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Liteltune". This entry refers to a place in Worcestershire that is now known as Littleton. The name also appears in other medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, where it is spelled as "Litelton".

In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Sir Thomas de Littleton (c.1235-1312) was recorded as the Lord of the Manor of Littleton in Worcestershire. He was a notable landowner and knight during the reign of King Edward I.

Another early bearer of the name was John Littleton (c.1460-1512), who served as a Justice of the Common Pleas under King Henry VII. He is best known for his legal treatise titled "Littleton's Tenures", which was a significant work on English property law.

During the 16th century, Sir Edward Littleton (c.1535-1610) was a prominent member of the English gentry and served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire. He was also a respected judge and legal writer.

In the 17th century, Sir Adam Littleton (c.1627-1694) was a noted English scholar and writer. He authored several works on topics ranging from theology to linguistics.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Littleton (1647-1709), who was a renowned English judge and legal writer. He served as a Justice of the King's Bench and is known for his work on the laws of England.

These examples highlight the historical presence and significance of the surname Littleton, particularly in England, where it originated and was associated with individuals of prominence and influence in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Littleton

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

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

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

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