2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Litvinoff
A surname of Russian origin meaning "from Lithuania".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Litvinoff. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Litvinoff 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Litvinoff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Litvinoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Litvinoff
Among Census respondents with the surname Litvinoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Litvinoff 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 Litvinoff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.0% · 97
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Litvinoff
Litvinoff 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,591 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-10 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,923 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,591 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 6,923 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 Litvinoff 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 | #148,347 | #155,270 | -4.7% |
| Count | 111 | 101 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Litvinoff bearers went from 111 to 101 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 6,923 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #155,270.
FAQ
Litvinoff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Litvinoff?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Litvinoff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Litvinoff?
Litvinoff ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Litvinoff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Litvinoff.
Has Litvinoff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Litvinoff went from 111 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 10 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Litvinoff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Litvinoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Litvinoff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Litvinoff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%), Black (1.0%). 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 Litvinoff (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 Litvinoff mean?
A surname of Russian origin meaning "from Lithuania". 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 Litvinoff (0.03 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 last name Litvinoff?
Find out how common the surname Litvinoff is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.