2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Litto
A surname derived from the Spanish word "lito" meaning literate or educated.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Litto. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Litto 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.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Litto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Litto, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Litto
The surname Litto is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Tuscany, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "litto," which means "shore" or "coast," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near the sea or worked in maritime-related professions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Litto surname can be found in a document from the 14th century, where a certain Guido Litto was mentioned as a resident of the city of Florence. This document provides valuable insight into the historical presence of the name in Tuscany during that era.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Litto (1420-1489) gained recognition as a skilled architect and engineer. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in Florence, including the Palazzo Vecchio and the Basilica of Santa Croce.
During the Renaissance period, the Litto family established themselves as prominent merchants and bankers in the city-state of Venice. One of the most influential members of this family was Marco Litto (1490-1560), who served as a financial advisor to the Venetian government and played a crucial role in facilitating trade between Venice and the Ottoman Empire.
Another notable bearer of the Litto surname was Lucrezia Litto (1525-1592), a renowned poet and writer from Genoa. Her works, which explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality, were widely acclaimed and contributed to the flourishing of Italian literature during the Renaissance.
In the 17th century, the Litto family had a presence in the Kingdom of Naples, where they owned several estates and vineyards. One of the most successful members of this branch was Girolamo Litto (1620-1685), a renowned winemaker whose wines were highly sought after by the nobility and the Catholic Church.
As the centuries passed, the Litto surname continued to be present in various regions of Italy, and individuals bearing this name made contributions in various fields, including art, literature, and politics. However, it is important to note that historical records from earlier periods may be incomplete or inaccurate, and some details about the origins and early bearers of the Litto surname may have been lost or distorted over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Litto
Among Census respondents with the surname Litto, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Litto 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 Litto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 90
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.7% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Litto
Litto 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-11 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,999 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-12 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,881 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 17,999 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 10,881 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 Litto 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 | #142,108 | #152,989 | -7.7% |
| Count | 117 | 105 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Litto bearers went from 117 to 105 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 10,881 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #152,989.
FAQ
Litto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Litto?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Litto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Litto?
Litto ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Litto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Litto.
Has Litto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Litto went from 117 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Litto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Litto, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Litto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Litto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Litto (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 Litto mean?
A surname derived from the Spanish word "lito" meaning literate or educated. 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 Litto (0.04 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 many people share the surname Litto?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.