The Anglo-Saxon name Lytton comes from the family having resided in the region of Litton located throughout various counties in England. Lytton is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.
The surname Lytton was first found in Derbyshire where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lytton research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1562, 1615, 1586, 1611, 1581, 1660, 1640, 1648, 1562, 1615, 1615 and 1674 are included under the topic Early Lytton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Lytton has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Lytton, Litton and others.
Notables of the family at this time include Sir Robert Lytton of Derbyshire; Sir Roland Lytton (ca. 1562-1615) (also Rowland Litton), an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1586 and 1611; Sir William...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lytton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Lyttons to arrive on North American shores: