Light
An English nickname surname that likely began as a byname for someone light-footed, light in complexion, or simply quick and cheerful.
The #2,164 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 18,412 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually explained as coming from Middle English light, meaning "light" in the sense of bright, pale, or nimble. In surname use it was probably a nickname for a person with a fair appearance or agile movement, and some early authorities also linked it with lightness of foot. In a few cases it may also be a spelling variant or shortened form of the related surname Lyte.
History
The name is found in English records as a descriptive byname and later as an inherited surname. 19th-century writers treated it as a nickname surname, with related forms such as Lightfoot helping confirm the sense of agility or quickness. It remains a relatively uncommon surname in modern English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Lower compared Light to the Dutch surname Ligtvoet, a close equivalent in meaning to English Lightfoot.
From the historical record
“in Oxfordshire. LIGHT. Probably refers to lightness of foot ; or it may be the same as Lyte. LIGHTBODY. See Body. LIGHTFOOT. From agility in running. 'Martin with the Light Foot,' occurs in the life of Hereward the Saxon. Wright's Essays, ii. 101, &c. See Metcalfe. The synonymous Dutch surname is Ligtvoet.…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom