Little is a
surname in the
English language. The name is ultimately derived from the
Middle English littel, and the
Old English lȳtel, which mean "little". 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. Early records of the name include:
Litle, in 972;
Litle, in about 1095; and
le Lytle, in 1296. 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"), especially the German name Klein during World War II.