Lyttleton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Anglo-Saxon name Lyttleton comes from when the family resided in one of the many places called Littleton throughout England. The surname Lyttleton belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Alternatively, the name could have of Norman origin as one source claims the name "appears to be a branch of the De Vautort, or Valletort, from Vautort, Maine, of which Reginald, Hugh, and Goisfried de Valletort came to England in 1066." 1

Early Origins of the Lyttleton family

The surname Lyttleton was first found in Worcestershire where "the name is derived from a place in the Vale of Evesham, where the ancestors of this family in the female line were seated before the reign of Richard I." 2

"The celebrated jurist, Sir Thomas Lyttelton, who had three sons, whose posterity were elevate to the peerage in each line, sprang maternally from Thomas de Luttelton, of co. Worcester, temp. Henry III. The surname probably originated at one of the several places called Littleton, in that county." 3

Sir Edward Littleton (c.1599- c.1657) was the first of four Littleton Baronets. His seat was Pillaton Hall in Staffordshire. He also held a manor in Tiddesley-Hay. "This was a royal chase, adjoining that of Cannock, till the reign of Elizabeth, who granted it jointly to the Earls of Warwick and Leicester, by whom it was sold to Sir Edward Littleton, of Pillaton Hall." 4

Humphrey and Stephen Littleton, (or Lyttelton) who both died on 7 April 1606 were probably the most infamous members of the family. Both were both executed for their involvement in the Gunpowder plot.

Early History of the Lyttleton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lyttleton research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1407, 1415, 1481, 1561, 1570, 1571, 1584, 1589, 1593, 1599, 1601, 1608, 1615, 1620, 1621, 1624, 1626, 1640, 1644, 1645, 1647, 1650, 1660, 1661, 1670, 1678, 1679, 1681, 1693, 1698, 1700 and 1709 are included under the topic Early Lyttleton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lyttleton Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Lyttleton has been recorded under many different variations, including Littleton, Lyttleton and others.

Early Notables of the Lyttleton family

Notables of the family at this time include

Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Lyttleton (Littelton) (1589-1645), from Munslow in Shropshire, Chief Justice of North Wales

Migration of the Lyttleton family to Ireland

Some of the Lyttleton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lyttleton family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Lyttleton or a variant listed above: George Littleton, who settled in Virginia in 1649; Edward Littleton settled in Barbados with his servants in 1679; Joseph Littleton settled in Virginia in 1765..

Contemporary Notables of the name Lyttleton (post 1700) +

David Lyttleton, British designer for Royal Doulton Bunnykins figurines; he and Harry Sales co-designed over 50 figurines in the 1990s
Westcote R. Lyttleton (1877-1956), New Zealand Works Director of Triplex Safety Glass, London who first introduced laminated safety glass for use in goggles in about 1912, eponym of Mount Lyttleton, Antarctica
Raymond Arthur Lyttleton FRS (1911-1995), British mathematician and theoretical astronomer, awarded the Royal Society Royal Medal in 1965
Warren Lyttleton Jenkins, American politician, Delegate to Kentucky secession convention, 1861 5
Lyttleton T. Ward, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Navy, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories

The Lyttleton Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ung Dieu et ung roy
Motto Translation: One God and one King.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html