NameCensus.

UK surname

Litt

A shortened form of the surname Littleton, derived from a place name in England.

In the 1881 census there were 164 people recorded with the Litt surname, ranking it #14,624 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 259, ranked #16,393, down from #14,624 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Bees, Shrewsbury St Chad, Wroxeter, Atcham, Berrington and Workington (Workington), Clossocks. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland and Allerdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Litt is 273 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.9%.

1881 census count

164

Ranked #14,624

Modern count

259

2016, ranked #16,393

Peak year

2010

273 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Litt had 164 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,624 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 259 in 2016, ranked #16,393.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 232 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Litt surname distribution map

The map shows where the Litt surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Litt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Litt over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 88 #18,569
1861 historical 159 #14,553
1881 historical 164 #14,624
1891 historical 207 #14,546
1901 historical 232 #13,769
1911 historical 232 #13,592
1997 modern 230 #16,109
1998 modern 246 #15,864
1999 modern 235 #16,458
2000 modern 239 #16,239
2001 modern 237 #16,048
2002 modern 249 #15,855
2003 modern 237 #16,191
2004 modern 240 #16,144
2005 modern 247 #15,763
2006 modern 241 #16,139
2007 modern 258 #15,554
2008 modern 266 #15,384
2009 modern 270 #15,551
2010 modern 273 #15,764
2011 modern 259 #16,237
2012 modern 253 #16,377
2013 modern 265 #16,138
2014 modern 265 #16,247
2015 modern 266 #16,105
2016 modern 259 #16,393

Geography

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Where Litts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Bees, Shrewsbury St Chad, Wroxeter, Atcham, Berrington, Workington (Workington), Clossocks, Manchester and Crosthwaite. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland and Allerdale. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 St Bees Cumberland
2 Shrewsbury St Chad, Wroxeter, Atcham, Berrington Shropshire
3 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Crosthwaite Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 003 Copeland
2 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
3 Allerdale 007 Allerdale
4 Allerdale 003 Allerdale
5 Copeland 001 Copeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Litt

These lists show first names that appear often with the Litt surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Litt

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Litt, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Litt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Litt household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Litt is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Litt is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Litt falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Litt is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Litt, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Litt

The surname LITT originated in Germany and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old German word "litt," which means "small" or "little." The name was likely given to someone of short stature or to distinguish between two people with the same first name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the LITT surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony in Germany, dating back to the 12th century. The name is mentioned in a document from 1157, which refers to a landowner named Hermannus Litt.

In the 13th century, the LITT surname appears in various official records throughout Germany, including the Urkundenbuch der Stadt Köln (Book of Documents of the City of Cologne) from 1235, which mentions a merchant named Johannes Litt.

During the Middle Ages, the LITT name was also found in other parts of Europe, particularly in the Low Countries (modern-day Netherlands and Belgium). In 1312, a man named Willem Litt is recorded in the archives of the city of Ghent.

One notable figure bearing the LITT surname was Johannes Litt (1472-1537), a German theologian and humanist scholar. He was a professor at the University of Wittenberg and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation, supporting the efforts of Martin Luther.

Another prominent individual with the LITT surname was Sir Henry Litt (1617-1688), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1677. He was also a member of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.

In the 18th century, the LITT name spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. Johann Georg Litt (1723-1796) was a German composer and organist who worked in St. Petersburg, Russia, for several years.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the LITT surname dates back to the late 18th century. William Litt (1755-1818) was a soldier in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Pennsylvania.

Another notable American with the LITT surname was Charles Benjamin Litt (1848-1909), a businessman and politician who served as the 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts from 1901 to 1903.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Litt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Litt surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cumberland leads with 110 Litts recorded in 1881 and an index of 78.90x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 110 78.90x
Lancashire 16 0.83x
Cheshire 9 2.52x
Shropshire 9 6.43x
Bedfordshire 7 8.35x
Durham 5 1.04x
Isle of Man 2 6.65x
Middlesex 2 0.12x
Surrey 2 0.25x
Kent 1 0.18x
Staffordshire 1 0.18x
Westmorland 1 2.81x
Yorkshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dearham in Cumberland leads with 24 Litts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1304.35x.

Place Total Index
Dearham 24 1304.35x
Keswick 15 842.70x
Birkenhead 9 31.59x
Toxteth Park 9 13.83x
Distington 8 1111.11x
Lamplugh 8 1142.86x
Bletsoe 7 3684.21x
Low Ireby 7 4117.65x
Shrewsbury St Chad 7 142.57x
Above Derwent 6 1153.85x
Arlecdon 6 161.73x
Beckermet St Bridget 5 1351.35x
Bishop Auckland 5 77.40x
Whitehaven 5 67.29x
Blennerhasset Kirkland 4 1481.48x
Broughton In Salford 4 22.77x
Egremont 4 120.48x
Preston Quarter 4 102.30x
Bothel Threapland 3 1363.64x
Allhallows 2 487.80x
Barrow In Furness 2 7.65x
Onchan 2 23.09x
Workington 2 25.06x
Bromley 1 11.88x
Castle Church 1 30.40x
Clapham 1 4.94x
Cleator 1 17.24x
Great Bolton 1 3.93x
Heston 1 18.59x
High Ireby 1 1666.67x
Kensington London 1 1.11x
Leeds 1 1.10x
Lorton 1 454.55x
Low Bolton 1 285.71x
Nether Wasdale 1 909.09x
Penrith 1 19.42x
Rydal Loughrigg 1 357.14x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 1 64.52x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 3.07x
Stainburn 1 769.23x
Whitchurch New 1 1000.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Litt surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 18
Jane 11
Ann 7
Elizabeth 5
Martha 5
Hannah 4
Sarah 4
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Edith 2
Emily 2
Esther 2
Grace 2
Julia 2
Lucy 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Bessy 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Ellenor 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Helene 1
Maud 1
May 1
Nina 1
Rosa 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Litt surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 18
Joseph 13
William 8
Thomas 7
George 5
Henry 4
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Mathew 2
Anthony 1
Christopher 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
James 1
Jonathan 1
Lionel 1
Reuben 1
Robert 1
Robertus 1
Samuel 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Litt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Litt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 164 people were recorded with the Litt surname. That placed it at #14,624 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Litt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 259 in 2016. That gives Litt a modern rank of #16,393.

What does the Litt surname mean?

A shortened form of the surname Littleton, derived from a place name in England.

What does the Litt map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Litt bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.