Littlewolf last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Littlewolf

A surname referring to a smaller or younger wolf or an individual with wolf-like characteristics.

Littlewolf, 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 Littlewolf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Littlewolf in America

Littlewolf is the 67747th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Littlewolf surname appeared 291 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 Littlewolf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Littlewolf 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 67747 72905 -7.33%
Count 291 248 15.96%
Proportion per 100k 0.10 0.09 10.53%

The history of the last name Littlewolf

The surname LITTLEWOLF originated in Germany during the medieval period, derived from the German words "klein" meaning small or little, and "wolf" referring to the wild canine. It was likely a descriptive nickname initially given to someone of smaller stature who possessed wolf-like qualities such as fierceness or cunning.

In its earliest forms, the name appeared as Kleinwolf or Kleynwolf in various German records and manuscripts from the 13th century onwards. As families began using hereditary surnames, the spelling evolved into the more recognizable LITTLEWOLF.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Kleinwolf, a farmer recorded in the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria during the late 1400s. Another early instance is found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of Saxony, where a Johann Kleynwolf was listed as a resident of Leipzig in 1512.

As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it also took on variations in spelling based on local dialects and scribes' interpretations. Forms like Littelwolf, Lüttlewolf, and Littlewolff have been documented in various historical records.

In the 16th century, one notable bearer of the LITTLEWOLF name was Hans Littelwolf (1522-1596), a master baker and guild member in the city of Nuremberg. His descendants continued the baking tradition for several generations.

Another individual of note was Johann Christoph Littlewolff (1670-1728), a respected theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Altdorf, near Nuremberg. His published works include treatises on biblical interpretation and sermons.

As German immigration to North America increased in the 18th and 19th centuries, the LITTLEWOLF name found its way to the New World. One early arrival was Friedrich Littlewolff, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1752 after fleeing religious persecution in his homeland.

Throughout its long history, the LITTLEWOLF surname has maintained a strong presence in regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Saxony. While not among the most common surnames, it has endured as a distinctive name with its unique combination of Germanic roots and descriptive meaning.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Littlewolf

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

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 Littlewolf was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 5.50% 16
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 81.79% 238
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 8.59% 25
Hispanic Origin 4.12% 12

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 Littlewolf has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 5.50% 4.84% 12.77%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 81.79% 85.89% -4.89%
Two or More Races 8.59% 7.26% 16.78%
Hispanic 4.12% 2.02% 68.40%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Littlewolf last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 15, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/littlewolf-surname-popularity/.

"Littlewolf last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/littlewolf-surname-popularity/. Accessed 15 October, 2024

Littlewolf last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/littlewolf-surname-popularity/.

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