2000
#3,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,829
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.64
Uncommon Last name
Littleton
From an English place name meaning "settlement by the little stream," derived from Old English lȳtel "little" and tūn "enclosure, settlement."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,027 Americans carry the last name Littleton. That puts it at #3,608 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Littleton surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Littleton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,083
Census rank
#3,608
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.6K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,616 bearers of the surname Littleton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3608th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Littleton, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Littleton
Among Census respondents with the surname Littleton, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Littleton bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Littleton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.8% · 6,903
- Black or African American19.7% · 1,897
- Two or more races4.5% · 435
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 274
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Littleton
Littleton appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,581
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,939
+110 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 3.37
Rank movement Down 246 places
2020
#3,608
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,616
-323 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 3.22
Rank movement Down 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,335 | 9,829 | 3.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,581 | 9,939 | 3.37 | +110 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 246 places |
| 2020 | #3,608 | 9,616 | 3.22 | -323 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 27 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Littleton surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,581 | #3,608 | -0.8% |
| Count | 9,939 | 9,616 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.37 | 3.22 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Littleton bearers went from 9,939 to 9,616 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,581 to #3,608.
FAQ
Littleton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Littleton?
Name Census estimates that about 11,027 living Americans carry the surname Littleton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,083 residents.
How common is Littleton?
Littleton ranks #3,608 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,616 people with the surname Littleton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,027), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Littleton.
Has Littleton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Littleton went from 9,939 recorded bearers to 9,616. That is a decrease of 323 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,581 to #3,608.
What does the Census say about the background of Littleton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Littleton, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Littleton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.8% (6,903 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Littleton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.8%), Black (19.7%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Littleton (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Littleton mean?
From an English place name meaning "settlement by the little stream," derived from Old English lȳtel "little" and tūn "enclosure, settlement." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Littleton (3.22 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Littleton?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Littleton on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.