NameCensus.

UK surname

Littleboy

A descriptive surname for an actual young boy or a male of small stature.

In the 1881 census there were 184 people recorded with the Littleboy surname, ranking it #13,551 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 261, ranked #16,309, down from #13,551 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju, London parishes and Tuddenham, East. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Norfolk, Broadland and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Littleboy is 274 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.8%.

1881 census count

184

Ranked #13,551

Modern count

261

2016, ranked #16,309

Peak year

2004

274 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Littleboy had 184 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,551 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016, ranked #16,309.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 254 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Littleboy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Littleboy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Littleboy 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 141 #13,507
1861 historical 140 #16,169
1881 historical 184 #13,551
1891 historical 213 #14,269
1901 historical 245 #13,298
1911 historical 254 #12,748
1997 modern 265 #14,692
1998 modern 272 #14,846
1999 modern 266 #15,150
2000 modern 270 #14,943
2001 modern 266 #14,878
2002 modern 273 #14,892
2003 modern 268 #14,897
2004 modern 274 #14,762
2005 modern 265 #15,048
2006 modern 259 #15,370
2007 modern 258 #15,554
2008 modern 257 #15,777
2009 modern 263 #15,843
2010 modern 268 #15,978
2011 modern 267 #15,892
2012 modern 260 #16,090
2013 modern 268 #16,005
2014 modern 268 #16,111
2015 modern 267 #16,050
2016 modern 261 #16,309

Geography

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Where Littleboys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju, London parishes, Tuddenham, East and St Anne Limehouse. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Norfolk, Broadland, Calderdale and Wakefield. 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 George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju Norfolk
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Tuddenham, East Norfolk
5 St Anne Limehouse London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Norfolk 015 South Norfolk
2 Broadland 003 Broadland
3 Calderdale 004 Calderdale
4 Broadland 004 Broadland
5 Wakefield 040 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Littleboy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Littleboy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Littleboy, 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 Littleboy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Littleboy 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Littleboy is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Littleboy is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Littleboy falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Littleboy 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Littleboy

The surname Littleboy has its roots in England, emerging during the medieval period. It is a compound of the Old English words "lytel," meaning small, and "boy," which has remained unchanged in its meaning over time. The name originally would have described someone of small stature or perhaps metaphorically signifying a person of humble or gentle nature.

The earliest references to the name Littleboy appear in various medieval documents and parish records. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the Yorkshire Poll Tax rolls of 1379, where a Roger Lytelboy was mentioned. This indicates that the name was in use and recognizable in Northern England by the late 14th century.

The name also appears in marriage and baptismal registers throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. For example, in the parish records of St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, an Edward Littleboy is listed in 1583. This localization suggests that the name had spread to various parts of England by the early modern period.

Historical manuscripts provide insight into notable individuals bearing the surname. One such person is John Littleboy, born in 1615, who was a cloth merchant in the town of York. He is recorded in merchant guild records and is notable for his contributions to the local industry at the time.

In the 18th century, another prominent figure with the surname was Mary Littleboy, born in 1742, who was involved in the social reform movement in London. Mary is documented in various letters and pamphlets expressing her support for social and educational reform, making her a notable figure of social conscience.

The name also appears in legal documents from the turn of the 19th century. Thomas Littleboy, born in 1789, was an attorney who appears in several legal proceedings and was known for his involvement in the infamous Luddites cases, defending workers during the Industrial Revolution.

Another notable figure is William Littleboy, a soldier born in 1820, who served with distinction in the British Army during the Crimean War. Records from military archives mention William's acts of bravery and his subsequent promotion to the rank of Sergeant.

Throughout history, individuals with the surname Littleboy have appeared in diverse roles, from merchants and social reformers to legal professionals and military personnel. The distribution and persistence of the name across various centuries underscore its enduring presence in English heritage and culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Littleboy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Littleboy 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. Norfolk leads with 63 Littleboys recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.71x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 63 22.71x
Middlesex 58 3.21x
Buckinghamshire 18 16.50x
Surrey 10 1.14x
Oxfordshire 7 6.28x
Cambridgeshire 6 5.25x
Essex 6 1.68x
Warwickshire 5 1.10x
Hertfordshire 3 2.41x
Kent 3 0.49x
Suffolk 3 1.36x
Gloucestershire 1 0.28x
Lancashire 1 0.05x
Somerset 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Fulham London in Middlesex leads with 14 Littleboys recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.50x.

Place Total Index
Fulham London 14 53.50x
Norwich St Giles 14 1573.03x
Stoke Poges 11 827.07x
Camberwell 10 8.68x
Limehouse London 10 50.48x
Thorpe Next Norwich 9 306.12x
Ealing 8 49.60x
Heigham 8 53.73x
Lakenham 7 177.67x
Newport Pagnell 7 307.02x
Bensington 6 845.07x
Norwich St Julian 6 512.82x
Little Warley 5 1000.00x
New Brentford 5 526.32x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 5 277.78x
Chatteris 4 136.99x
East Tuddenham 4 1428.57x
Hackney London 4 3.95x
Poplar London 4 11.74x
Sprowston 4 327.87x
St George In East London 4 23.57x
Canterbury St Paul 3 270.27x
Gorleston 3 53.76x
Rugby 3 48.70x
Abbots Langley 2 108.11x
Edgbaston 2 14.17x
Ratcliffe London 2 20.06x
St Gilesin Fields London 2 130.72x
Stoke Holy Cross 2 769.23x
Upwell 2 238.10x
Bathwick 1 31.15x
Berkhampstead 1 35.71x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.28x
Birkdale 1 18.45x
Bromley London 1 2.52x
Felstead 1 81.97x
Hammersmith London 1 2.25x
Isleworth 1 12.47x
Norwich St Mary In Marsh 1 322.58x
Norwich St Peter 1 54.95x
Smallburgh 1 303.03x
South Hamlet 1 45.66x
Tibenham 1 256.41x
Twickenham 1 12.92x
Watlington 1 87.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Ann 6
Eliza 6
Elizabeth 6
Ellen 6
Emily 5
Sarah 5
Agnes 3
Gertrude 3
Jane 3
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Charlotte 2
Kate 2
Margaret 2
Martha 2
Pamela 2
Susan 2
Alma 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Avis 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Ellis 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Gerty 1
Hannah 1
Isabelle 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Olive 1
Rachel 1
Rose 1
Thurza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
William 9
George 7
Robert 7
Alfred 6
Frederick 4
Henry 4
James 4
Richard 4
Thomas 4
Arthur 3
Edward 3
Albert 2
Geo. 2
Allan 1
Charles 1
Cornelius 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Maria 1
Obadiah 1
Percy 1
Phillip 1
Reginald 1
Richd. 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Littleboy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Littleboy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 184 people were recorded with the Littleboy surname. That placed it at #13,551 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Littleboy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016. That gives Littleboy a modern rank of #16,309.

What does the Littleboy surname mean?

A descriptive surname for an actual young boy or a male of small stature.

What does the Littleboy map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Littleboy 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.