Little
For other uses, see Little (disambiguation).
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Look up little in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
| Little | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Unisex |
| Language(s) | English |
| Origin | |
| Language(s) | Old English (OE), Middle English (ME) |
| Word/Name | lȳtel (OE), littel (ME) |
| Meaning | "little" |
| Families | |
| Clan Little | |
Little is a surname in the English language. The name is ultimately derived from the Middle English littel,[1] and the Old English lȳtel, which mean "little".[2] In some cases the name was originally a nickname for a little man. In other cases, the name was used to distinguish the younger of two bearers of the same personal name.[1] Early records of the name include: Litle, in 972; Litle, in about 1095; and le Lytle, in 1296.[2] The surname has absorbed several non English-language surnames. For example, Little is sometimes a translation of the Irish Ó Beagáin, meaning "descendant of Beagán". Little can also be a translation of the French Petit and Lepetit, as well as other surnames in various languages with the same meaning ("little"),[1] especially the German name Klein during World War II.
People
- Andrew Little (disambiguation), several people
- Angela Little (disambiguation), several people
- Ann Little (1891–1984), American silent film actress
- Anna Little (disambiguation), several people
- Annie Little, American singer
- Arthur Dehon Little (1863–1935), American chemical engineer, founder of consulting company Arthur D. Little
- Bentley Little (born 1960), American author
- Betty Little (born 1940), New York senator
- Booker Little (1938–1961), American jazz trumpeter
- Brian Little (disambiguation), several people
- Bryan Little (disambiguation), several people
- Carlo Little (1938–2005), British rock and roll drummer
- Chad Little (born 1963), NASCAR driver
- Cleavon Little (1939–1992), American film and theatre actor
- David Little (disambiguation), several people
- Donald Little, Canadian judge
- Elaine Marjory Little (1884–1974), Australian pathologist
- Emily Little (born 1994), Australian gymnast
- Elbert Luther Little, (1907 - 2004), American botanist
- Floyd Little (born 1942), American professional footballer
- Frances Little (1863–1941), pseudonym of American author Fannie Caldwell
- Frank Little (disambiguation), several people
- George Little (disambiguation), several people
- Gerry P. Little, New Jersey politician
- Grady Little (born 1950), former Major League Baseball manager
- Henry Little (disambiguation), several people
- Ian Little, record producer
- Ian Little (footballer) (born 1973), Scottish football player and manager
- Jack Little (disambiguation), several people
- James Little (disambiguation), several people
- Jane Little (musician), American musician; bassist in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
- Jane Little (born 1972), English broadcaster and writer
- Jason Little (disambiguation), several people
- Jean Little (born 1932), Canadian author
- Joan Little (born 1953), African-America acquitted of murder
- John Little (disambiguation), several people
- Joseph James Little (1841–1913), US representative from New York, printer and publisher
- Ken Little (born 1947), modernist American sculptor
- Lawson Little (1910–1968), American professional golfer
- Lewis Henry Little (1817–1862), Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War
- Malcolm Little (1925–1965), better known as Malcolm X
- Mark Little (disambiguation), several people
- Neil Little (born 1971), Canadian former ice hockey player
- Nicky Little (born 1976), Fijian rugby union player
- Ralf Little (born 1980), English actor and comedian
- Rich Little (born 1938), Canadian-American impressionist and voice actor
- Richard Little (disambiguation), several people
- Ricky Little (born 1989), Scottish footballer
- Robert Little (disambiguation), several people
- Russell M. Little (1809–1891), New York politician
- Sally Little (born 1951), South African LPGA Golfer and multiple winner
- Stephen Little (born 1954), American Asian art scholar, museum administrator and artist
- Steve Little (disambiguation), several people
- Syd Little (born 1942), English comedian
- Tandy Little (born 1921), American politician
- Tasmin Little (born 1965), English violinist
- Thomas Little (disambiguation), several people
- Tony Little (born 1956), American TV fitness personality
- Walter Little (disambiguation), several people
- William Little (disambiguation), several people
Fictional characters
- Bingo Little, in P. G. Wodehouse stories
- Stuart Little, fictional mouse in many of E. B. White's short stories, and in some films
See also
- Clan Little, a Scottish Border clan
- Chicken Little (2005 film)
- List of people known as the Little
- Lyttle, a surname
References
- 1 2 3 Learn about the family history of your surname, Ancestry.com, retrieved 22 February 2011, which cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4, for the surname "Little".
- 1 2 Reaney, Percy Hilde (1995), Wilson, Richard Middlewood, ed., A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 281, ISBN 0-19-863146-4.
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