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Home › Baby Names Directory › Little

Little

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Little

Pronounced LIT-ul /ˈlɪt.əl/Medium

Meaning: Little is an English surname adopted as a first name. As a surname it began as a descriptive nickname for someone small or younger, and its use as a given name reflects the custom of honoring a family surname.Medium

In 30 seconds: Little is an English surname used as a given name, from a nickname for a small person. It appeared from the early nineteen-hundreds and is said 'LIT-ul'.
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Origin LowEnglish
MeaningLittle is an English surname adopted as a first name. As a surname it began as a descriptive nickname for someone small or younger, and its use as a given name reflects the custom of honoring a family surname.
U.S. rank (2017)#13479 ↘ Falling
2017 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1975
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,573
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Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197518832017

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Little is an English surname turned given name. The surname arose as a descriptive byname for someone of small stature, or to distinguish a younger person from an elder of the same name. Its appearance as a boys' first name in American records reflects the common practice of carrying a family surname forward as a personal name.

As a given name Little was always very rare, appearing quietly from the eighteen-eighties and reaching only a few dozen boys a year around a faint high point near 1975. It reads as an unusual vintage surname-name and a genuine curiosity rather than a name in any current revival.

Did you know? As a surname Little started as a plain descriptive nickname, marking a person as small in stature or the younger of two who shared a name, and it later passed into occasional use as a first name.
Overall data confidence 55%
References - Little — English descriptive surname 'small/younger'; surname-as-given-name

Variations

LitleLytleLyttleLittel

Nicknames

LitLitt

Famous Bearers

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If you like Little…

Cleveland— a fellow early-1900s surname used as a given name
Dewey— another vintage surname-name of the period
Otis— a comparable short vintage boys' name
Roscoe— an old-fashioned surname-flavored boys' name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Little mean?

Little is an English surname used as a given name, from a nickname for a small person.

How do you pronounce Little?

It's said LIT-ul /ˈlɪt.əl/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Little a boy or girl name?

Little is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Little?

Little is very rare, an unusual vintage surname used as a given name.

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