NameCensus.

UK surname

Lyttle

An anglicized form of the Irish surname "O'Lyttle," derived from the Gaelic "O'Leadghail," meaning "descendant of Leadghail."

In the 1881 census there were 29 people recorded with the Lyttle surname, ranking it #29,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 766, ranked #7,167, up from #29,484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Keppochhill, Drumry West and Linlathen and Midcraigie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lyttle is 774 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 2541.4%.

1881 census count

29

Ranked #29,484

Modern count

766

2016, ranked #7,167

Peak year

2010

774 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lyttle had 29 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 766 in 2016, ranked #7,167.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 77 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Lyttle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lyttle surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lyttle 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
1861 historical 11 #32,452
1881 historical 29 #29,484
1891 historical 36 #31,465
1901 historical 77 #25,627
1911 historical 68 #26,050
1997 modern 667 #7,524
1998 modern 694 #7,523
1999 modern 681 #7,677
2000 modern 680 #7,660
2001 modern 657 #7,732
2002 modern 712 #7,412
2003 modern 691 #7,457
2004 modern 712 #7,293
2005 modern 704 #7,310
2006 modern 722 #7,187
2007 modern 720 #7,271
2008 modern 732 #7,244
2009 modern 754 #7,217
2010 modern 774 #7,206
2011 modern 765 #7,191
2012 modern 768 #7,103
2013 modern 765 #7,230
2014 modern 771 #7,205
2015 modern 764 #7,196
2016 modern 766 #7,167

Geography

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Where Lyttles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Keppochhill, Drumry West, Linlathen and Midcraigie, Hillhead and Yoker North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Keppochhill Glasgow City
2 Drumry West Glasgow City
3 Linlathen and Midcraigie Dundee City
4 Hillhead Glasgow City
5 Yoker North Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lyttle

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lyttle

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Lyttle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Lyttle household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lyttle 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

Lyttle is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lyttle falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lyttle 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Lyttle

The surname Lyttle is believed to have originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon era, specifically the 9th or 10th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "lyttel," meaning small or little, suggesting that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone of small stature.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical records from medieval England, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and tenants after the Norman Conquest. The name was often spelled as "Littel" or "Lytel" in these early records, reflecting the evolving spelling conventions of the time.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Lyttle was Sir William Lyttle, who lived in the 14th century and served as a knight and landowner in Yorkshire, England. Another early record dates back to 1327, when a Richard Lyttle was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire.

As the surname spread across England, it also took on various localized spellings, such as "Lyttell," "Litell," and "Littell," reflecting regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions. Some of these variations may have originated from place names, such as the village of Little in Shropshire or the town of Littleborough in Greater Manchester.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Thomas Lyttle (1535-1599) was a member of the English Parliament and served as Sheriff of London. During the same period, a William Lyttle (1550-1621) was a renowned scholar and clergyman who served as the Dean of Bristol Cathedral.

As the British Empire expanded, the surname Lyttle also found its way to various parts of the world, including Ireland, where it is believed to have been introduced by English settlers or immigrants. In the 18th century, a notable figure named John Lyttle (1717-1795) was a prominent Presbyterian minister in County Antrim, Ireland.

Over the centuries, the surname Lyttle has been associated with various occupations and professions, from landowners and clergymen to scholars and public servants, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lyttle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lyttle 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. Lancashire leads with 9 Lyttles recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.59x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 9 2.59x
Renfrewshire 5 22.07x
Yorkshire 5 1.73x
Middlesex 3 1.03x
Durham 2 2.30x
Essex 2 3.46x
Lanarkshire 2 2.11x
Kent 1 1.00x
Royal Navy 1 28.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston Cum Aughton in Yorkshire leads with 5 Lyttles recorded in 1881 and an index of 2083.33x.

Place Total Index
Aston Cum Aughton 5 2083.33x
Broughton In Salford 5 157.73x
West Greenock 5 122.85x
Hammersmith London 2 27.78x
Salford 2 19.59x
Walthamstow 2 96.15x
Barrow In Furness 1 21.19x
Glasgow 1 5.96x
Govan 1 4.28x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 26.53x
Herne 1 227.27x
Pendleton In Salford 1 24.21x
Royal Navy 1 33.56x
St Pancras London 1 4.25x
Westoe 1 20.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 2
Isabella 1
Mabel 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Maude 1
Rebecca 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
James 2
Andrew 1
Frank 1
George 1
Hamilton 1
Hugh 1
Thomas 1
William 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Lyttle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lyttle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 29 people were recorded with the Lyttle surname. That placed it at #29,484 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lyttle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 766 in 2016. That gives Lyttle a modern rank of #7,167.

What does the Lyttle surname mean?

An anglicized form of the Irish surname "O'Lyttle," derived from the Gaelic "O'Leadghail," meaning "descendant of Leadghail."

What does the Lyttle map show?

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