LITTON

The surname Litton is of English origin and is found in the British Isles. It is a locational surname, deriving from places known as Litton in several English counties, including Derbyshire, Dorset, West Yorkshire and Somerset.

The etymology of the name is based on Old English elements. The first element is either hlid, meaning a gate or barrier, or hlith, meaning slope. The second element is tun, meaning a settlement or enclosure. Consequently, contemporary scholars interpret the place name as either “the settlement by a gate” or “the settlement on a slope”. Some early accounts also associate the name with a fast‑moving stream, translating it as “the place on a torrent”, although the evidence for this interpretation is less extensive.

Historical records show that villages called Litton were documented in the Domesday Book of 1086, where the Somerset location appears as Hlytton. Subsequent medieval documents record the spellings Litun and Litune for the same villages. The Domesday entry for Somerset and the 1175 Yorkshire charter for Gamel de Litton illustrate the early use of the name in official records.

Other early bearers of the name include Thomas de Lytton, listed in the Hundred Rolls of Derbyshire in 1273, and Thomas Lytton of Essex, noted in the 1403 "Feet of Fines". These entries confirm that the surname was in use among landowners during the Middle Ages and that the spelling of the name varied between Litton and Lytton over time.

Throughout the centuries the spelling of the surname has changed, with variants such as Liteton, Ledton, and Litune occasionally appearing in documents. This interchangeability arose from evolving spelling fashions and regional pronunciations rather than any single linguistic rule. In contemporary records the spelling Litton remains the most common form in the United Kingdom, while American genealogical sources often list the alternative spelling Lytton.

In modern census data the surname remains relatively uncommon, ranking as the 12,689th most frequent surname worldwide as of 2014. Concentrations can be found in the United Kingdom, the United States (notably Tennessee and Missouri), Australia, and the West Indies, but the overall density of people bearing the name is low, reflecting its status as a geographically specific locational surname that has not become widespread across the population.

Typical given names associated with the Litton surname

Male

• Andrew
• David
• Edward
• Giles
• John
• Mark
• Michael
• Nicholas
• Richard
• Robert
• William

Female

• Ceranne
• Elizabeth
• Helen
• Irene
• Janet
• Jennifer
• Karen
• Kathleen
• Marie
• Patricia
• Sarah
• Susan

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Litton in...

Braille

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Morse

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Surname type: Location or geographical feature

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Famous people named Litton

• Henry Litton - Hong Kong judge
• Martin Litton - Musician

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

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