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

Littman, 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 Littman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Littman in America

Littman is the 18529th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Littman surname appeared 1,489 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 Littman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Littman 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 Littman

The surname LITTMAN is of German origin and dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Prussia, where it was likely an occupational name for someone who worked as a small trader or a peddler, derived from the German words "litt" meaning small and "mann" meaning man.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LITTMAN can be found in the church records of the town of Nürnberg, Bavaria, where a certain Hans Littman was mentioned in 1567. The name also appears in various other historical documents from the region, such as tax records and property deeds, indicating its widespread use among the local population.

In the 17th century, the LITTMAN name began to spread beyond its initial geographical boundaries, with families bearing the name settling in other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland. One notable individual from this period was Johann Littman (1609-1678), a renowned Lutheran theologian and author from Saxony.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the LITTMAN name continued to gain prominence, with several individuals making their mark in various fields. Among them were Karl Littman (1786-1858), a German composer and musician, and Wilhelm Littman (1819-1890), a renowned German architect whose works can still be seen in cities like Berlin and Dresden.

The 20th century saw the LITTMAN name spread further afield, with families emigrating to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. One notable figure from this era was Enno Littmann (1875-1958), a German Orientalist and explorer who conducted extensive research in the Middle East and authored several books on Arabic language and culture.

Other notable individuals bearing the LITTMAN surname include Walter Littmann (1920-2006), a German-American writer and journalist who covered the Nuremberg Trials, and Sherry Littman (born 1943), an American film producer best known for her work on the acclaimed movie "The Princess Bride."

Overall, the LITTMAN surname has a rich and varied history, with its origins deeply rooted in the German-speaking regions of Europe. Despite its humble beginnings as an occupational name, it has since been borne by individuals from diverse walks of life, contributing to various fields and leaving their mark on the annals of history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Littman

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

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!