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

Whidbee, 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 Whidbee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whidbee in America

Whidbee is the 36736th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whidbee surname appeared 608 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 Whidbee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whidbee 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 Whidbee

The surname Whidbee is believed to have its origins in the British Isles, specifically England. The use of surnames in England became more common after the Norman Conquest of 1066, although the surname Whidbee likely emerged later during the medieval period. The name Whidbee is likely derived from a place or geographical feature, a common practice in surname formation.

The structure of Whidbee suggests a locational origin, possibly derived from a farm or settlement surrounded by woodland. The name could have originated from an Old English combination of the elements "hwita," meaning white, and "by," derived from the Old Norse word for village or homestead. This etymology hints that the name might mean "white village" or "settlement by white wood."

Records from the late medieval period mention similar surnames. The name Whidbee does not appear in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documents the lands and holdings in England following the Norman Conquest. It is more likely that the surname began to be recorded in parish registers and local documents from the 13th century onward.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a William de Whidby is mentioned. This indicates that the surname was already established by the late 13th century. Another early mention appears in 1348, where a John Whidbye is recorded as a tenant in Norfolk. Throughout the centuries, the spelling varied slightly, with records showing variations such as Whidby and Whitby.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname manifests in marriage, land transaction, and court records. A notable bearer from this period is Thomas Whidbee, a yeoman farmer born in 1465 in Yorkshire, who appears in the Court of Common Pleas records of the early Tudor period. His family was involved in local agriculture and held lands through the generations.

Moving to the early 17th century, the name was carried by Edward Whidbee, an English merchant born in 1605, who expanded his trade to include shipping ventures. Edward's records can be found in the London port books, indicating his participation in the burgeoning overseas trade during the Elizabethan era. His contributions to the trade routes between England and the Low Countries were significant.

In the 18th century, the name Whidbee surfaces in colonial America. Benjamin Whidbee, born in 1720, migrated to Virginia, where he became a prominent landowner and local official. His name appears in land grant records of the Virginia Colony, and he played a role in the local governance, indicative of the spread of the surname beyond England's borders due to migration.

Finally, in the 19th century, Reverend Samuel Whidbee, born in 1810, became a notable figure as he served as a parish priest in Lincolnshire. His sermons and writings contributed to the ecclesiastical literature of the time, and he is remembered for his dedication to community service and his involvement in the social reforms of the Victorian era.

The surname Whidbee, while not exceedingly common, has a rich history tracing back to medieval England, showcasing diversifications and migrations over centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whidbee

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

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

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

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