Litvinoff last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Litvinoff

A surname of Russian origin meaning "from Lithuania".

Litvinoff, 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 Litvinoff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Litvinoff in America

Litvinoff is the 148347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Litvinoff surname appeared 111 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 Litvinoff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Litvinoff 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 148347 140756 5.25%
Count 111 109 1.82%
Proportion per 100k 0.04 0.04 0.00%

The history of the last name Litvinoff

The surname Litvinoff originated from Russia and dates back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Russian word "litva," which means "Lithuania," and the suffix "-off," indicating a patronymic or possessive form. This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who had some connection to Lithuania or Lithuanian ancestry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Litvinoff can be found in the Velvet Book, a 17th-century Russian genealogical record of noble families. This document mentions several individuals bearing this surname, indicating their noble status and potential ties to the regions bordering Lithuania.

During the 18th century, the Litvinoff name appeared in various historical records and documents across Russia, particularly in the areas near the Lithuanian border. This suggests that the name was relatively widespread among Russian families with Lithuanian roots or connections.

One notable individual with the surname Litvinoff was Maxim Litvinov (1876-1951), a prominent Soviet diplomat and revolutionary. He served as the Soviet Foreign Minister from 1930 to 1939 and played a crucial role in establishing diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and various Western countries.

Another historical figure bearing this name was Ivan Litvinov (1894-1951), a Russian military officer who fought in World War I and later became a prominent Soviet military leader during World War II. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his bravery and strategic leadership.

In the literary world, Konstantin Litvinov (1899-1975) was a Russian writer and poet known for his works exploring themes of revolution and social change. His novel "The Road to Calvary" is considered one of the most significant literary works depicting the events of the Russian Revolution.

During the 19th century, the Litvinoff surname was also found in various regions of the Russian Empire, including present-day Belarus and Ukraine. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its initial Lithuanian-influenced origins and had become more widely adopted across Slavic communities.

Another noteworthy figure was Pyotr Litvinov (1833-1904), a Russian industrialist and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the coal mining industry in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.

While the Litvinoff surname has its roots in Russia and connections to Lithuania, it has also been adopted by families of different ethnic backgrounds over the centuries, reflecting the cultural diversity and migration patterns within the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Litvinoff

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

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 Litvinoff was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.59% 105
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.59% 97.25% -2.77%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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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!

"Litvinoff last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 30, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/litvinoff-surname-popularity/.

"Litvinoff last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/litvinoff-surname-popularity/. Accessed 30 April, 2025

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

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