Show ContentsLitten History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient and distinguished surname Litten is probably derived from a Slavic personal name such as "Litomir," "Litoslav," or "Litobor." These names are all derived from the Old Slavic "ljutu," meaning "wild" or "grim." Alternatively, the name may be derived from "Littau," the name of a town in Moravia. In this case, it is likely that the progenitor of the name was a native of Littau who had settled in another region.

Early Origins of the Litten family

The surname Litten was first found in Silesia, where they contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation and would later play a large role in the tribal and national conflicts of the area. In later years, the Litten family branched into many houses, each playing a significant role in the local social and political affairs.

Early History of the Litten family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Litten research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1427, 1491, 1781 and 1866 are included under the topic Early Litten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Litten Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Littmann, Litmann, Littman, Litman, Littmeyer, Litmayer, Littmeier, Litte, Littig, Litten, Littner, Littau, Litt, Littrow, Litke and many more.

Early Notables of the Litten family

Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Litten Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Litten Ranking

In the United States, the name Litten is the 11,676th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Litten migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Litten Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Edward Litten, aged 39, who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Aller" from Bremen, Germany [2]
  • H.H. Litten, aged 50, who arrived in New York in 1895 aboard the ship "Saint Louis" from Southampton, England [2]
Litten Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Alfred W. Litten, aged 49, originally from Hooten, England, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Caronia" from Liverpool, England [2]
  • William Litten, aged 26, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Soton [2]

New Zealand Litten migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Litten Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Emma Litten, aged 45, a dressmaker, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maraval" in 1879

Contemporary Notables of the name Litten (post 1700) +

  • Kevin Litten, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Iowa 2nd District, 2002, 2004 [3]
  • Fred W. Litten, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1928 [3]
  • Moritz Litten (1845-1907), German physician who identified Litten's sign
  • Irmgard Litten (1879-1953), née Wust, a German writer, wife of Friedrich Litten
  • Hans Achim Litten (1903-1938), German lawyer who represented opponents of the Nazis in 1929 through 1932; he once cross-examined Hitler for three hours
  • Friedrich Julius Litten (1873-1940), German jurist and a university college teacher
  • Peter Mackenzie Litten (b. 1960), British film director and designer
  • Derren Litten (b. 1970), English comedy writer and actor


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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