# Little (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/little/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A characteristical surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 105,936 |
| US rank (2010) | 291 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 2,914 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.1% (102,718 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈlɪtəl/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Littel, Littell, Lytle, Lyttle, Litle, Lightle, Lightley, Lighthill |

## Etymology

English surname, from the adjective little (“small, (ironic) big, not much, younger”). Compare Short, Shorty. This has also been translated and adapted from similar-meaning names in other languages, such as: * Irish Ó Beagáin (“descendant of Beagán”), from a diminutive of beag (“small”), see also Began. * French Petit and Polish Mały * Native American names such as Navajo hastiin yázhí (“little man”), see Yazzie.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Little in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 70% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 24% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.0% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.3% |
| Two or more races | 1.9% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Little in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.

## People named Little

- Samuel Little, American serial killer
- Shamier Little, American hurdler
- Mackenzie Little, Australian javelin thrower (1996-)
- Cleavon Little, American actor (1939–1992)
- Ann Little, actress (1891-1984)
- Angela Little, American actress
- Dwight H. Little, American film and television director (born 1956)
- Natasha Little, British actress
- Booker Little, American jazz musician (1938–1961)
- Nassir Little, American basketball player (born 2000)
- Kevin Little, American sprinter
- John Sebastian Little, American politician (1851-1916)

and 16 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Lytle, Liddle, Littell, Lyttle, Lightle, Liddell, Ludlow, Laidlaw, Ledwell.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.