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

Whigham, 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 Whigham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whigham in America

Whigham is the 12384th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whigham surname appeared 2,512 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 Whigham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whigham 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 Whigham

The surname Whigham has its origins in Scotland, specifically in the Scottish Borders region. It is believed to have derived from the Scots word "quhig," which means a hollow or a marshy place. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who resided in or near a marshy area.

The earliest recorded instance of the Whigham surname dates back to the 16th century. In the Retours of Roxburghshire from 1592, there is a reference to a John Quhigham. This spelling variation indicates the evolution of the name over time.

One notable early bearer of the Whigham name was Robert Whigham, who was born in Scotland around 1650. He was a merchant and trader who later settled in Virginia, United States, in the late 17th century. This highlights the migration patterns of Scottish families during that time.

Another significant figure was James Whigham, born in 1724 in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his descendants went on to establish successful businesses in various parts of the British Empire.

In the 19th century, a notable family of Whighams hailed from Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire. One member, John Whigham (1801-1879), was a prominent banker and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the local community.

The Whigham name has also been associated with place names in Scotland. For instance, Whigham Muir is a moorland area located near Sanquhar, likely named after the Whigham family who owned land in the area.

Throughout history, there have been several other individuals bearing the Whigham surname who have made notable contributions in various fields. These include Sir Alexander Whigham (1873-1952), a Scottish businessman and politician, and James Whigham (1674-1751), a Scottish minister and author.

While the Whigham surname may not be as widely known as some other Scottish names, its history and evolution reflect the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of Scotland, particularly in the Scottish Borders region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whigham

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

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

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

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