Surname Littau - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'L'
Littau: What does the surname Littau mean?
The surname Littau is of Germanic origin, derived from the ancient region of Lotharingia, which is now western Germany and eastern France. The first element of the name, ‘Litt’ or ‘Lotte’ comes from the old Germanic personal name ‘Ludewic’, meaning 'renowned leader,' and 'au' is an old Germanic locative suffix denoting the place of origin.
The surname dates back to the twelfth century, when Littau was the name of a small village near Stuttgart in what was Lotharingia. It was the home of a noble family whose line later spread to many parts of Europe, particularly to the areas that were formerly part of the Holy Roman Empire. Over time, different branches of the family adopted different spellings of the name, such as Litau, Litow, Lytau, and Littow.
The name Littau has come to symbolize a spirit of journey and exploration, as well as an appreciation of tradition. People bearing the name are often seen as exhibiting traits of courage, ambition and leadership. In modern day, Littau descendants may be found in Germany, France, Great Britain, the United States, and other parts of the world. Here, they continue to embrace the values of their ancestors, as well as the spirit of adventure.
Order DNA origin analysisLittau: Where does the name Littau come from?
The last name Littau is still in use today across many different countries. Within the United States, it is relatively uncommon, but still present in the population. According to the U.S. Census, there were a total of 339 people with the last name of Littau living in the United States in 2020.
Outside of the United States, the name Littau is more common. It is primarily found in German-speaking countries, including Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. According to the World Names Public Profiler, the approximate number of people who carry the last name Littau is 20,500 in Germany, 2,500 in Austria, and 200 in Switzerland.
It is also possible to find the last name Littau in countries which speak languages other than German. This includes Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. For example, in Canada, the World Names Public Profiler estimates that there are 230 people with the last name Littau.
Overall, the last name Littau is still relatively common in today's society, particularly in German-speaking countries where it is most frequently found. It is also found in other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.
Variations of the surname Littau
The surname Littau is of German origin and has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
The most common variant of the surname is Litaugh, which comes from the German “Littau” meaning “little river”. Other variants of the surname include Littaw, Litteau, Litau, Littow, Littower, Litteauer, Littauer, Littowere, Lyttaw, and Lyttawe, among others.
The surname is also commonly found spelled with an “e” at the end, such as Littauer, Littawe, Littower, and Litteauer. This is done to differentiate the surname from other similar ones such as “Litauen” and “Littauen”, which both have the same meanings but are of French and Polish origins, respectively.
The Littau surname is found among several German surnames and is especially common in southern Germany. Another related surname is Littke, which has a similar meaning, as it is derived from the German “Littke” meaning “little river”.
Littau is also an American surname, in which case it might be a variant of “Littauer”, “Littaw”, or of another, related surname. In the United States, the surname is most commonly found in Pennsylvania.
Variants of the surname are also found in Australia, where the name is spelled “Litteau”. Other related spellings there include “Litteauer”, “Littow”, and “Littauer”.
Other surnames of the same origin as Littau include Littemann, Litsche, Littiman, Littmann, Littdorf, Littschwager, and Littschmann, among others. All of these are also of German origin, with the “Litt” part of the surname suggesting a small river or stream.
Famous people with the name Littau
- Blake Littau, YouTube star known for his popular game streaming videos
- Jan Littau, German Olympic athlete
- Christian Littau, German swimmer
- Vinzenz Littau, German Olympic athlete
- Lisa Littau, American novelist
- Alexander Littau, German Catholic professor
- Shiela Littau, writing professor at a University in the USA
- Magdalena Littau, German-Italian musician, artist, and singer
- Merle Littau, Canadian politician
- Tomas Littau, Swedish professor of comparative literature