2000
#63,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 295
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Whale
An English surname derived from the Middle English word for the marine mammal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 360 Americans carry the last name Whale. That puts it at #67,683 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 952,095 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whale surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Whale with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
360
1 in 952,095
Census rank
#67,683
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
314
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 314 bearers of the surname Whale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 67683rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whale, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (8.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whale
The surname Whale has its origins in England, with the earliest documented instances appearing in medieval records. The name is derived from the Old English word "hwael," which means whale, indicating a possible nickname for someone who was a fisherman, hunter, or simply large in size. It could also refer to someone who lived near a landmark associated with whales, such as a coastal area or whalebone-constructed place.
Whale appears in historical records dating back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced to the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a John le Whale in Cambridgeshire. The name's inclusion in these extensive land and property records suggests that it had some degree of prominence even in medieval times.
Another notable occurrence of this surname is found in the Poll Tax records of 1379, where the name Willelmus l’Whale was recorded in Yorkshire. These records were essentially a census of property owners, and the appearance of the Whale surname further underscores its established presence in England during the 14th century.
A significant bearer of the Whale surname in later centuries was Sir John Whale, born in 1532. Known for his contributions to maritime navigation, Sir John’s work helped to advance the understanding of coastal England, and his maps were later used as references by other explorers.
In the 18th century, another prominent figure with this surname was Thomas Whale, an artist recognized for his seascapes and marine-themed artwork. Born in 1768, his work became widely appreciated for its vivid representation of life at sea, bringing him considerable acclaim during his lifetime.
Moving into the 19th century, the name reappears with Captain Richard Whale, born in 1820. He was a noted whaler and captain of several prominent whaling ships of his time. His life epitomized the maritime spirit associated with his surname, and he was often mentioned in shipping logs and maritime records of the mid-19th century.
The Whale surname also appears in the ecclesiastical context with Reverend Samuel Whale, born in 1847. Serving as a clergyman in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Reverend Whale was known for his charitable works and contributions to his community in Dorset.
The history of the Whale surname is thus rich and varied, reflecting diverse occupational links, geographic connections, and individual achievements across centuries in England. Each occurrence of the surname adds depth to our understanding of its historical trajectory and significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whale
Among Census respondents with the surname Whale, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (8.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Whale bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Whale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.7% · 247
- Black or African American8.6% · 27
- Two or more races8.6% · 27
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whale
Whale appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#66,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 297
+2 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 3,256 places
2020
#67,683
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 314
+17 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 1,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #63,297 | 295 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #66,553 | 297 | 0.10 | +2 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 3,256 places |
| 2020 | #67,683 | 314 | 0.11 | +17 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 1,130 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Whale surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #66,553 | #67,683 | -1.7% |
| Count | 297 | 314 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.11 | 5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whale bearers went from 297 to 314 (+5.7% change). The surname moved down 1,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #66,553 to #67,683.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Whale
FAQ
Whale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whale?
Name Census estimates that about 360 living Americans carry the surname Whale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 952,095 residents.
How common is Whale?
Whale ranks #67,683 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 314 people with the surname Whale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (360), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Whale.
Has Whale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whale went from 297 recorded bearers to 314. That is an increase of 17 (+5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #66,553 to #67,683.
What does the Census say about the background of Whale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whale, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (8.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Whale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.7% (247 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.7%), Black (8.6%), Two or More Races (8.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Whale (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Whale mean?
An English surname derived from the Middle English word for the marine mammal. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Whale (0.11 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Whale?
See how many people are called Whale on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.