Littleton
A habitational surname meaning “from the little town,” or from one of several places called Littleton in England.
The #3,581 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 31,064 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Littleton is a place-name surname built from Middle English little, meaning “small,” plus toun or ton, meaning “farmstead,” “settlement,” or “village.” In other words, it originally meant “small settlement” or “little town.” As a surname, it was taken by people from any of several places called Littleton in England, especially those in the west and midlands.
History
The name is well established as an English locational surname, with medieval records showing bearers in Worcestershire by the 13th century. Lower specifically notes that the celebrated jurist Sir Thomas Littleton came from a Worcestershire line and suggests the surname likely arose from one of the Worcestershire places named Littleton. The surname later spread into other parts of Britain and, through emigration, to North America and elsewhere.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
There are multiple English places called Littleton, which is why the surname can have several independent local origins rather than just one family source.
From the historical record
“CO. Derby. Eng. Surn. i. Ul. LITTLETON. Many places in various counties are so designated. The celebrated jurist, Sir Thomas Lyttel ton, who had three sons, whose posterity were elevated to the peerage in each line, sprang maternally from Thomas deLuttelton, of co. Worcester, temp. Henry III. The surname probably…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom