Littlecote

This unusual name originates from the Villages of either Littlecot in Wiltshire or Littlecote, near Stewkley in Buckinghamshire or from residence "at a small house". The origin is Olde English pre 8th Century and the surname is from the 13th Century. This type of locational name was usually given to a former inhabitant when they moved to another area, and this was also the first opportunity to dialectually transpose the spelling! Over the generations there have been various alternative spellings including Lutlecote, Litlecot, Luttelcote and Littlekit, but all have the same origins. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Adam de Litlecote which was dated 1272, in the "Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire" during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.