Littlejohn
A nickname-style surname meaning “little John,” likely first used to distinguish a smaller or younger man named John.
The #2,976 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,628 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Littlejohn is a transparent compound of Middle English little “small” and John, the very common biblical personal name. It began as a descriptive nickname—literally “little John”—for a smaller, younger, or otherwise distinct John, and later became hereditary as a surname. Similar surnames include Micklejohn, Prettyjohn, and Upjohn.
History
Bardsley and other surname writers group Littlejohn with a class of descriptive compounds built on John, showing that it was already recognized as a hereditary surname by the 19th century. The name appears chiefly in English records, though surnames of this type are also familiar in Scotland and parts of northern England. Because John was so widespread, compound nicknames like this could arise independently in more than one place.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century writers often paired Littlejohn with a whole family of similar names, including Micklejohn, Prettyjohn, and Upjohn.
From the historical record
“Fumess, North Lancashire ; Taddy for Addy (Adam) : cf. Teddy for Edward. Q after n, an excrescence. Hence Jenin (Littlejohn), Jening, and gen. Jennings; cf. Collin (Nicholas), Collins, and CoUinge; Embling for Emlin or Emeline. This list could be extended to any amount. Z for ks and oka. Cf. Coxon for Cockson…”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances