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

McWhite, 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 McWhite surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McWhite in America

McWhite is the 24370th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McWhite surname appeared 1,028 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McWhite.

We can also compare 2010 data for McWhite 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 McWhite

The surname McWhite originated in Scotland during the late 16th century. It is a derivative of the Gaelic "Mac Ghil Bhàin" which translates to "son of the fair-haired or white-haired lad." This name is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Isles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McWhite surname can be found in the parish records of Kilchrenan, Argyllshire, where a John McWhyte was mentioned in 1628. The name also appeared in the Hearth Tax Rolls for County Ayr in 1695, indicating its presence in that region.

The McWhite surname has been subject to various spelling variations over the centuries, including McWhyte, McQuhyte, and McQuhaite. These variations were often a result of the translation of the Gaelic pronunciation into written English.

In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the McWhite surname was Sir John McWhyte, a Scottish politician and landowner. He served as a Member of Parliament for Argyllshire in the Scottish Parliament from 1661 to 1663.

Another prominent figure was Archibald McWhyte, a Scottish clergyman who lived from 1647 to 1721. He served as the Minister of Rutherglen Parish Church and was known for his influential sermons and writings.

In the 18th century, James McWhyte (1720-1786) was a Scottish merchant and banker who played a significant role in the development of the city of Glasgow's banking industry.

Moving into the 19th century, William McWhyte (1810-1892) was a Scottish-born Australian pastoralist and politician. He emigrated to Australia in the 1830s and became a successful landowner and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

The McWhite surname also found its way to North America, with one notable bearer being John McWhyte (1834-1901), a Canadian businessman and politician from Ontario. He served as a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1887 to 1891.

While the McWhite surname may not be as widespread as some other Scottish names, it has a rich history dating back to the Scottish Highlands and has produced individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McWhite

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

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 McWhite 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 McWhite 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 McWhite was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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