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

Whipple, 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 Whipple surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whipple in America

Whipple is the 2602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whipple surname appeared 13,850 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Whipple.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whipple 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 Whipple

The surname Whipple has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hwæppe," meaning a small bundle or parcel, and "hyll," meaning a hill or mound. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a small hill or mound, or perhaps a peddler who carried bundles of goods for sale.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Willelmus Wepel" in Kent. Over time, the spelling evolved into various forms, including Whippel, Whippill, and eventually Whipple.

In the 13th century, the name Whipple was particularly prevalent in the counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire. Records from this period show individuals with the surname holding lands and estates in these regions.

A notable early bearer of the name was John Whipple, born around 1320 in Bickerton, Gloucestershire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1355.

In the 16th century, the name Whipple appeared in connection with the English Reformation. William Whipple, born in 1490 in Taunton, Somerset, was a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in 1556 for his religious beliefs.

During the 17th century, several members of the Whipple family played significant roles in the colonization of America. Matthew Whipple, born in 1590 in Bocking, Essex, was one of the early settlers of Ipswich, Massachusetts, arriving in 1638.

Another notable figure was Abraham Whipple, born in 1733 in Providence, Rhode Island. He was a renowned naval commander during the American Revolutionary War and is credited with firing the first shot of the war against the British in 1772.

In the 19th century, Edwin Percy Whipple, born in 1819 in Gloucester, Massachusetts, gained recognition as a prominent literary critic and essayist, known for his works on Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The Whipple name has also been associated with scientific achievements. John Adams Whipple, born in 1822 in Oberlin, Ohio, was a renowned civil engineer who designed numerous bridges, including the Whipple Truss, a revolutionary bridge design that became widely used in the late 19th century.

These examples illustrate the rich history and diversity of the surname Whipple, which has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, religious figures, military leaders, writers, and engineers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whipple

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

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

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

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