NameCensus.

UK surname

Littlejohn

A nickname-derived surname referring to a person of small stature or a youth.

In the 1881 census there were 1,443 people recorded with the Littlejohn surname, ranking it #2,885 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,555, ranked #3,983, down from #2,885 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Deer, London parishes and Arbroath and St. Vigeans. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Aboyne and South Deeside, Upper Nithsdale and Cromar and Kildrummy.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Littlejohn is 1,614 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.8%.

1881 census count

1,443

Ranked #2,885

Modern count

1,555

2016, ranked #3,983

Peak year

1901

1,614 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Littlejohn had 1,443 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,885 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,555 in 2016, ranked #3,983.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,614 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Littlejohn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Littlejohn surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Littlejohn 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 870 #3,134
1861 historical 997 #2,796
1881 historical 1,443 #2,885
1891 historical 1,503 #2,930
1901 historical 1,614 #3,207
1911 historical 668 #6,301
1997 modern 1,490 #3,930
1998 modern 1,568 #3,896
1999 modern 1,584 #3,903
2000 modern 1,539 #3,975
2001 modern 1,481 #4,025
2002 modern 1,505 #4,064
2003 modern 1,488 #4,029
2004 modern 1,451 #4,111
2005 modern 1,452 #4,069
2006 modern 1,477 #4,025
2007 modern 1,468 #4,078
2008 modern 1,481 #4,078
2009 modern 1,510 #4,093
2010 modern 1,549 #4,081
2011 modern 1,521 #4,107
2012 modern 1,496 #4,099
2013 modern 1,539 #4,057
2014 modern 1,555 #4,036
2015 modern 1,553 #4,007
2016 modern 1,555 #3,983

Geography

Back to top

Where Littlejohns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Deer, London parishes, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Aboyne and South Deeside, Upper Nithsdale, Cromar and Kildrummy, Inverurie South and Turriff. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Deer Aberdeen
2 London parishes London 1
3 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Aboyne and South Deeside Aberdeenshire
2 Upper Nithsdale Dumfries and Galloway
3 Cromar and Kildrummy Aberdeenshire
4 Inverurie South Aberdeenshire
5 Turriff Aberdeenshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Littlejohn

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Littlejohn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Littlejohn, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Littlejohn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Littlejohn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Littlejohn is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Littlejohn 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

Littlejohn 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 Littlejohn 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 Littlejohn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Littlejohn

The surname Littlejohn originated in England and Scotland during the medieval period. It is a diminutive form of the personal name John, meaning "little John" or "young John." The name likely emerged as a way to distinguish between individuals with the common name John, particularly within families or communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Littlejohn can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a certain Richard Littlejohn is mentioned. In Scotland, the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document containing the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

The Littlejohn surname has its roots in various old English and Scottish place names, such as Littlejohn's Close in Edinburgh and Littlejohn's Wynd in Aberdeen. These place names suggest that the surname was well-established in these areas by the 16th and 17th centuries.

Notable individuals with the surname Littlejohn include:

1. John Littlejohn (c. 1495-1537), a Scottish clergyman and the first Protestant martyr in Scotland, who was burned at the stake for heresy.

2. Henry Littlejohn (1801-1891), a Scottish-born Australian politician and landowner who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

3. William Littlejohn (1838-1905), a Scottish journalist and author known for his work on Scottish folklore and dialect.

4. Archibald Littlejohn (1856-1934), a Scottish physician and medical inspector who played a crucial role in improving public health in Scotland.

5. David Littlejohn (1865-1941), a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the oil industry and established the Littlejohn Scholarship Fund at the University of California, Berkeley.

While the Littlejohn surname has its origins in England and Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and migration patterns. However, the earliest recorded examples and historical references remain rooted in the British Isles, reflecting the name's medieval origins and its evolution over centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Littlejohn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Littlejohn 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 341 Littlejohns recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.12x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 341 26.12x
Lanarkshire 163 3.58x
Middlesex 161 1.14x
Angus 151 11.56x
Ayrshire 91 8.63x
Midlothian 52 2.75x
Devon 50 1.70x
Perthshire 38 6.01x
Surrey 34 0.50x
Fife 30 3.60x
Kincardineshire 25 14.56x
Essex 24 0.86x
Stirlingshire 24 4.62x
Banffshire 21 7.18x
Durham 21 0.50x
Hampshire 19 0.66x
Kent 18 0.37x
Lancashire 17 0.10x
Staffordshire 16 0.34x
Glamorgan 15 0.61x
Gloucestershire 15 0.54x
Cornwall 13 0.81x
Monmouthshire 13 1.28x
Warwickshire 13 0.37x
Somerset 11 0.48x
Northumberland 10 0.48x
Argyllshire 9 2.29x
Dunbartonshire 9 2.38x
Morayshire 9 4.11x
Renfrewshire 6 0.55x
Dorset 5 0.54x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 1.96x
Yorkshire 4 0.03x
Kinross-shire 3 8.42x
Royal Navy 2 1.19x
Cheshire 1 0.03x
Denbighshire 1 0.19x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.32x
Hertfordshire 1 0.10x
Lincolnshire 1 0.04x
Norfolk 1 0.05x
Roxburghshire 1 0.39x
Wigtownshire 1 0.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen Old Machar in Aberdeenshire leads with 71 Littlejohns recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.05x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen Old Machar 71 26.05x
Dundee 47 9.64x
Chelsea London 46 10.83x
Cambusnethan 44 43.46x
New Deer 38 160.81x
Glasgow 32 3.95x
Govan 30 2.66x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 28 11.46x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 27 3.55x
Montrose 24 30.33x
Fyvie 21 98.59x
St Vigeans 21 29.79x
Forfar 20 28.28x
Tarves 20 161.94x
Stirling 19 28.99x
Banchory Ternan 18 121.29x
Barony 18 1.56x
Hammersmith London 18 5.18x
Dalziel 17 34.67x
Islington London 17 1.24x
Bethnal Green London 16 2.61x
Galston 16 55.46x
Perth East Church 16 26.82x
Stoke Upon Trent 16 3.17x
Birse 15 283.55x
Kilmarnock 15 11.95x
Fulham London 13 6.36x
Woodford 13 41.27x
Edinburgh St Stephens 12 32.28x
Kilwinning 12 35.23x
Bishopwearmouth 11 3.06x
New Machar 11 150.07x
Portsea 11 1.94x
St Woollos 11 9.67x
Ayr 10 20.08x
Clifton 10 7.16x
Dalry 10 20.15x
Hamilton 10 7.87x
Insch 10 134.59x
Leamington Priors 10 11.43x
Arbroath 9 20.79x
Battersea 9 1.74x
Campbeltown 9 19.02x
Inverurie 9 60.98x
Perth West Church 9 29.98x
Rewe 9 656.93x
St Marylebone London 9 1.20x
Auchterderran 8 38.13x
Bonhill 8 13.16x
Bothwell 8 6.47x
Crathie Braemar 8 102.43x
Fintray 8 160.64x
Glenmuick Tullich 8 85.02x
Hackney London 8 1.01x
Huntly 8 37.66x
Keith 8 25.67x
Kincardine O Neil 8 85.84x
Leslie 8 37.86x
Maidstone 8 5.58x
Mains 8 72.07x
Monifieth 8 17.34x
Plymouth St Andrew 8 3.54x
Taunton St James 8 24.18x
Aboyne 7 101.60x
Brechin 7 13.64x
Gwennap 7 23.26x
St Pancras London 7 0.62x
Tarland 7 123.67x
Carnock 6 117.65x
Gamrie 6 18.38x
Keithhall 6 140.52x
Kilmaurs 6 33.43x
Largs 6 24.14x
Lumphanan 6 109.29x
St Athan 6 326.09x
Kensington London 5 0.64x
Little Dunkeld 5 46.55x
North Leith 5 5.72x
Shoreditch London 5 0.82x
Toxteth Park 5 0.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Elizabeth 21
Sarah 19
Eliza 10
Emma 8
Alice 7
Emily 7
Ellen 6
Jane 6
Lydia 5
Martha 5
Amelia 4
Annie 4
Caroline 4
Edith 4
Harriett 4
Helen 4
Margaret 4
Rebecca 4
Florence 3
Agnes 2
Ann 2
Charlotte 2
Christina 2
Fanny 2
Flora 2
Hannah 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Maud 2
Rhoda 2
Robina 2
Susannah 2
Berthie 1
Bessie 1
Effie 1
Elena 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Evelyn 1
Hilena 1
Ida 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Katy 1
Kezia 1
Thomasine 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 39
John 24
George 12
Henry 12
James 11
Alexander 9
Thomas 9
Frederick 7
Richard 7
Robert 7
Albert 5
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Matthew 4
Charles 3
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Samuel 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
David 2
Earnest 2
Edward 2
Joseph 2
Mark 2
Robt. 2
Stephen 2
Walter 2
Willm. 2
Astle 1
Beresford 1
Bertram 1
Cecil 1
Clement 1
Eli 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredk.W. 1
Hamilton 1
Horace 1
Hy. 1
Isaac 1
Joe 1
Lewis 1
Marshall 1
Norman 1
Peter 1
Richr. 1
Salterne 1
Saml. 1

FAQ

Littlejohn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Littlejohn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,443 people were recorded with the Littlejohn surname. That placed it at #2,885 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Littlejohn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,555 in 2016. That gives Littlejohn a modern rank of #3,983.

What does the Littlejohn surname mean?

A nickname-derived surname referring to a person of small stature or a youth.

What does the Littlejohn map show?

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