2000
#6,992
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,420
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.64
Rare Last name
Litton
Derived from a place name meaning "farm on the slope" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,964 Americans carry the last name Litton. That puts it at #7,423 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,048 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Litton 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 Litton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 69,048
Census rank
#7,423
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,329 bearers of the surname Litton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7423rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Litton, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Litton
The surname Litton has its origins in England, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "litton," which means a small settlement or a farmstead. The earliest known record of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Litun" and "Lyttun."
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Litton was William de Litton, a landowner who lived in the village of Litton, Derbyshire, during the 13th century. The name is also closely associated with the village of Litton Cheney in Dorset, which was once known as "Litun" or "Lyton."
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Litton was John Litton, a prominent clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton in Somerset from 1349 to 1361. Another notable individual was Sir Robert Litton, a member of the English Parliament who represented Somerset in the late 14th century.
During the 16th century, the surname Litton appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1545, where it was spelled as "Lytton." In the same century, a family of landed gentry with the surname Litton was recorded in the village of Litton in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
One of the most significant figures associated with the surname Litton was Sir Edward Litton (1617-1672), an English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1668 to 1672. He played a crucial role in the administration of justice during the tumultuous period following the English Civil War.
Another notable individual was Reverend Thomas Litton (1647-1719), an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and religious subjects. He served as the Rector of Chelsworth in Suffolk and was a respected scholar in his time.
In the 18th century, the surname Litton continued to appear in various records, including the Parish Registers of Gloucestershire, where it was recorded as "Lytton" and "Litton." During this period, a family named Litton owned a significant estate in the village of Litton in Derbyshire, further cementing the connection between the surname and the place name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Litton
Among Census respondents with the surname Litton, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Litton 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 Litton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 3,900
- Two or more races3.9% · 170
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 133
- Black or African American1.7% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Litton
Litton 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
#7,308
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,564
+144 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 316 places
2020
#7,423
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,329
-235 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Down 115 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,992 | 4,420 | 1.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,308 | 4,564 | 1.55 | +144 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 316 places |
| 2020 | #7,423 | 4,329 | 1.45 | -235 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 115 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 Litton 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 | #7,308 | #7,423 | -1.6% |
| Count | 4,564 | 4,329 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.45 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Litton bearers went from 4,564 to 4,329 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 115 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,308 to #7,423.
FAQ
Litton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Litton?
Name Census estimates that about 4,964 living Americans carry the surname Litton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,048 residents.
How common is Litton?
Litton ranks #7,423 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,329 people with the surname Litton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,964), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Litton.
Has Litton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Litton went from 4,564 recorded bearers to 4,329. That is a decrease of 235 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,308 to #7,423.
What does the Census say about the background of Litton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Litton, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Litton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (3,900 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Litton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Litton (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 Litton mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "farm on the slope" in Old English. 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 Litton (1.45 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 Litton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.