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

Whiddon, 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 Whiddon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whiddon in America

Whiddon is the 11388th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whiddon surname appeared 2,769 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 Whiddon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whiddon 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 Whiddon

The surname Whiddon originated in the county of Devon, England, and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hwit" meaning white and "dun" meaning hill or down. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a whitish-colored hill or down.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Whiddon can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Devon from 1212, where a Walter de Whiddon is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were records of financial transactions kept by the English Crown. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were surveys of landholdings and tenants.

In the 14th century, the Whiddon family was well-established in the parish of Chagford, Devon. They held lands and properties in the area for several generations. One notable member of the family was John Whiddon (c. 1350-1418), who served as a member of the Devon County Parliament during the reign of King Richard II.

The Whiddon surname has various spellings throughout history, including Whiddon, Whiddon, Whiddon, and Whiddon. Some of these variations may have been influenced by local dialects or scribal errors in record-keeping.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Whiddon family continued to hold prominence in Devon. Sir John Whiddon (1548-1619) was a successful merchant and served as the Mayor of Plymouth in 1594. His son, Sir John Whiddon (1588-1642), was a renowned military commander who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

Another notable figure with the Whiddon surname was Samuel Whiddon (1637-1720), an Anglican clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Totnes and the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Taunton. He was known for his religious writings and sermons.

In the 18th century, the Whiddon family had spread to other parts of England, as well as to Ireland and Wales. Some members of the family emigrated to the American colonies, where they established roots and contributed to the development of various communities.

While the Whiddon surname is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English and British history, with its origins deeply rooted in the county of Devon and the language of the Anglo-Saxons.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whiddon

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

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

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

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