LYTTLE
Lyttle is a surname of English origin, first recorded in the early medieval period. The earliest surviving mention dates to the year 972 when the name Eadric Little appears in a register of old English names for Northamptonshire, during the reign of King Edgar. From this point the name entered the habit of hereditary transmission across generations.
The etymology of the name is derived from the Middle English word litel, meaning “small” or “little.” In its earliest usage the surname functioned as a nickname for a person of small stature or for one regarded as of little importance. Over time it acquired a second connotation as a term of endearment, equivalent to “little man,” and was sometimes applied to the younger of two bearers of the same personal name, a practice that parallels the modern use of Junior.
Alternative derivations suggest a topographic origin. The Old English root hlith means “slope,” and the surname may have been employed to describe someone living on a slope or hillside. The name has also been associated with several place names in England such as Little in Hertfordshire and Lytchett in Dorset, reinforcing a locational basis for the surname.
Recorded medieval spellings of the surname include Lefstan Litle in the feudal documents of the Danelaw at the abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, Thomas Lytle in Sussex in the 1296 subsidy tax rolls, and John and Jane Little among early emigrants to the English colonies of the New World, noted in the parish of Christchurch, Barbados in 1678. Throughout the centuries the spelling varied as Little, Littell, Lytle and Lyttle, reflecting regional pronunciations and the limited literacy of the era.
During the 17th century many families with the surname migrated from Scotland to Ulster as part of the Plantation of Ulster. Consequently the name became most common in Northern Ireland, particularly in Counties Antrim, Down and, to a lesser extent, Tyrone. It remains in use in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia, with spelling variations continuing to occur in different locales.
Variants of the surname that have been documented over the centuries include Littel, Littell, Lydle, Lytel, Lyte, Litle, Lite and Lettle. These forms point to a shared linguistic origin connected to the Old English word for small or to place names derived from the same root. Despite the divergence in spelling, all such surnames are likely to be historically linked through common ancestors or shared etymological roots.
Typical given names associated with the Lyttle surname
Male
- Andrew
- Brian
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Ann
- Anne
- Bettine
- Denise
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Erica
- Joanne
- Karen
- Kathleen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Susan
- Suzanne
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 Lyttle in...
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There are approximately 908 people named Lyttle in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,948th most common surname in Britain. Around 14 in a million people in Britain are named Lyttle.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Lyttle
- Des Lyttle - Football player, football manager
- Chris Lyttle - Northern Irish politician
- Tyler Lyttle - Football player
- Foggy Lyttle - Musician (1944 to 2003)
- David Lyttle - Jazz musician
- Rob Lyttle - Rugby union player
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.