Find out how popular the last name Applewhite is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Applewhite.

Applewhite, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Applewhite surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Applewhite in America

Applewhite is the 8882nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Applewhite surname appeared 3,687 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Applewhite.

We can also compare 2010 data for Applewhite to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Applewhite

The surname Applewhite originated in England during the late medieval period. It is a locative name, derived from a place name referring to a geographical location where apples were grown or an apple orchard existed. The first recorded spelling of the name dates back to the 14th century in the county of Hertfordshire.

The name is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "æppel" meaning apple and "hwit" meaning white, potentially referring to the color of the fruit or the appearance of the apple trees. Early variations of the spelling included Appulwhite, Apulwhite, and Appleqwhyte.

In the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there is a reference to a land holding in Hertfordshire called "Aeppeluuihte," which is thought to be the earliest recorded mention of the name's place of origin.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Applewhite was John Applewhite, born in 1532 in the village of Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire. He was a farmer and landowner who played a role in the local community.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Applewhite (1602-1679), a wealthy merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Hertford in the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Applewhite family had a presence in the county of Suffolk, where Robert Applewhite (1712-1786) was a prominent landowner and local magistrate.

During the Victorian era, the name gained recognition through the achievements of Charles Applewhite (1818-1892), a renowned architect who designed several prominent buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House.

Another influential figure was Mary Applewhite (1846-1924), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded one of the first schools for girls in the city of Manchester.

Throughout its history, the surname Applewhite has been associated with various professions and social classes, from farmers and merchants to politicians and professionals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Applewhite

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Applewhite.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Applewhite was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Applewhite has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Applewhite was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Applewhite, please contact us.

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