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Home › Baby Names Directory › Littleton

Littleton

♂ Boy

Pronounced LIT-uhl-tuhn /ˈlɪt.əl.tən/Medium

Meaning: Littleton is an English place-and-surname name from Old English, combining 'lytel' (little) and 'tun' (enclosure, farmstead, town), so 'little town'. Many English villages bear the name, and it passed to a surname and then, occasionally, to a first name honoring family lines.Low

In 30 seconds: Littleton is a boy's name from an English place meaning 'little town'. It appears in US records from 1882, peaking around 1924 (said LIT-uhl-tuhn).
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Origin LowEnglish
MeaningLittleton is an English place-and-surname name from Old English, combining 'lytel' (little) and 'tun' (enclosure, farmstead, town), so 'little town'. Many English villages bear the name, and it passed to a surname and then, occasionally, to a first name honoring family lines.
U.S. rank (1959)#4331 ↘ Falling
1959 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1924
Total births (all-time)≈ 312

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192418821959

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

Littleton comes from an Old English place-name meaning 'little town', from 'lytel' and 'tun'. Widespread as a village name and surname, it appears in American records as a heritage first name, sturdy and distinctly English.

It was never common as a given name, given to only about fifteen boys a year at its 1924 peak, and it faded from records by the late 1950s. A boy named Littleton then would be a great-grandfather now, and it remains a rare surname-name.

Did you know? Littleton names many English villages and several American towns, and its use as a first name reflects the old custom of carrying a family surname forward.
Overall data confidence 38%
References - Littleton — English surname/place, Old English lytel + tun ('little town'); rare US boy usage

Variations

LitteltonLitton

Nicknames

LittleLit

Famous Bearers

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If you like Littleton…

Carleton— a same-style -ton heritage name
Hampton— a comparable English -ton name
Sutton— a related -ton surname first name
Lexington— another English name
Overton— shares Littleton's English roots

Explore names like Littleton

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Littleton mean?

It is from an English place-name and surname, from Old English 'lytel' (little) and 'tun' (town or enclosure), so 'little town'.

How do you pronounce Littleton?

It is said LIT-uhl-tuhn /ˈlɪt.əl.tən/ - three syllables.

Is Littleton a boy or girl name?

Littleton is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Littleton?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fifteen boys a year even at its peak in the mid-nineteen-twenties.

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