2000
#6,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,007
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.86
Rare Last name
Littrell
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "little stream" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,718 Americans carry the last name Littrell. That puts it at #6,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,943 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Littrell 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
5.7K
1 in 59,943
Census rank
#6,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,986 bearers of the surname Littrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Littrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Littrell
The surname Littrell is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to England and the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English words "littel" and "halh," which together mean "little nook" or "small hollow." This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name referring to a small valley or depression in the landscape.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Littrell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Litelhale," referring to a settlement or manor in the county of Warwickshire.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Littelhalgh, Littlehale, and Lyttlehale, reflecting the fluid nature of English orthography during that time. Some of these early spellings can be found in ancient manuscripts and records from the 13th and 14th centuries.
One notable early bearer of the Littrell name was John Lyttelhalgh, who was born in the village of Mellor, Derbyshire, around 1420. He was a wool merchant and served as a local magistrate in the mid-15th century.
In the 16th century, the name Littrell began to appear in its more modern spelling. William Littrell, born in 1535 in the village of Great Haywood, Staffordshire, was a respected landowner and farmer who played a role in the local governance of his community.
Another prominent figure with the Littrell surname was Sir Thomas Littrell, a Member of Parliament for the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in the late 17th century. He was a staunch supporter of the Glorious Revolution and the ascension of William III and Mary II to the English throne.
During the 18th century, the Littrell name spread beyond its traditional heartlands in the Midlands and northern England. One notable bearer was John Littrell, born in 1712 in the village of Chedworth, Gloucestershire. He was a renowned architect and was commissioned to design several notable buildings, including the parish church of St. Mary's in the nearby town of Fairford.
As the centuries passed, the Littrell name continued to be associated with various professions and occupations, from farmers and tradesmen to professionals and academics. The name has also been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, further enriching its historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Littrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Littrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Littrell 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 Littrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 4,513
- Two or more races4.4% · 218
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 143
- Black or African American0.9% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Littrell
Littrell 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
#6,626
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,111
+104 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.73
Rank movement Down 358 places
2020
#6,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,986
-125 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Up 86 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,268 | 5,007 | 1.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,626 | 5,111 | 1.73 | +104 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 358 places |
| 2020 | #6,540 | 4,986 | 1.67 | -125 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 86 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 Littrell 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 | #6,626 | #6,540 | 1.3% |
| Count | 5,111 | 4,986 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.73 | 1.67 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Littrell bearers went from 5,111 to 4,986 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 86 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,626 to #6,540.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Littrell
FAQ
Littrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Littrell?
Name Census estimates that about 5,718 living Americans carry the surname Littrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,943 residents.
How common is Littrell?
Littrell ranks #6,540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,986 people with the surname Littrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,718), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Littrell.
Has Littrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Littrell went from 5,111 recorded bearers to 4,986. That is a decrease of 125 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,626 to #6,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Littrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Littrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Littrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (4,513 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Littrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Littrell (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 Littrell mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "little stream" 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 Littrell (1.67 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 have the surname Littrell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.