2000
#11,937
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,401
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Whigham
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place in the parish of Kirkpatrick-Fleming in Dumfriesshire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,892 Americans carry the last name Whigham. That puts it at #11,869 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,518 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whigham 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 Whigham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 118,518
Census rank
#11,869
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,522 bearers of the surname Whigham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11869th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whigham, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Black (42.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whigham
Among Census respondents with the surname Whigham, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Black (42.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Whigham 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 Whigham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.0% · 1,260
- Black or African American42.3% · 1,067
- Two or more races4.3% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whigham
Whigham 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
#12,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,512
+111 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 447 places
2020
#11,869
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,522
+10 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Up 515 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,937 | 2,401 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,384 | 2,512 | 0.85 | +111 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 447 places |
| 2020 | #11,869 | 2,522 | 0.84 | +10 bearers (+0.4%) | Up 515 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 Whigham 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 | #12,384 | #11,869 | 4.2% |
| Count | 2,512 | 2,522 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.84 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whigham bearers went from 2,512 to 2,522 (+0.4% change). The surname moved up 515 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,384 to #11,869.
FAQ
Whigham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whigham?
Name Census estimates that about 2,892 living Americans carry the surname Whigham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,518 residents.
How common is Whigham?
Whigham ranks #11,869 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,522 people with the surname Whigham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,892), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.84 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Whigham.
Has Whigham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whigham went from 2,512 recorded bearers to 2,522. That is an increase of 10 (+0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,384 to #11,869.
What does the Census say about the background of Whigham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whigham, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Black (42.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Whigham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.0% (1,260 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whigham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.0%), Black (42.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Whigham (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 Whigham mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place in the parish of Kirkpatrick-Fleming in Dumfriesshire. 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 Whigham (0.84 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 Whigham?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Whigham on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.