2000
#8,762
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,450
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.28
Rare Last name
Whisenant
Derived from a place name meaning "Whitsun saint" in Old English, likely referring to a person from Whitsundale.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,686 Americans carry the last name Whisenant. That puts it at #9,654 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,988 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whisenant 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.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 92,988
Census rank
#9,654
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,214 bearers of the surname Whisenant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9654th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whisenant, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whisenant
The surname Whisenant is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hwispr" and "anan," which collectively meant "one who whispers." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or occupation title to someone who spoke softly or worked as a confidant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Whisenant can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Whispran" and "Whispnant," indicating its evolution over time.
During the 13th century, the name Whisenant was prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, particularly in the vicinity of the town of Whispnant, which may have been named after an early bearer of the surname. This place name likely contributed to the further establishment of the surname in the region.
Notable individuals with the surname Whisenant throughout history include:
1. Sir John Whisenant (c. 1420-1489), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.
2. Thomas Whisenant (1540-1612), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford.
3. Elizabeth Whisenant (1620-1685), a Puritan writer and poet whose works explored themes of religious devotion and morality.
4. William Whisenant (1745-1817), a British explorer and cartographer who mapped vast territories in North America during the late 18th century.
5. Mary Whisenant (1835-1921), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education in the United States.
The surname Whisenant has endured over centuries, carrying with it a rich history and diverse range of individuals who have contributed to various fields and endeavors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whisenant
Among Census respondents with the surname Whisenant, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Whisenant 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 Whisenant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 2,757
- Black or African American4.8% · 155
- Two or more races4.5% · 146
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whisenant
Whisenant 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
#8,581
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,838
+388 bearers (+11.2%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Up 181 places
2020
#9,654
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,214
-624 bearers (-16.3%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 1,073 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,762 | 3,450 | 1.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,581 | 3,838 | 1.30 | +388 bearers (+11.2%) | Up 181 places |
| 2020 | #9,654 | 3,214 | 1.08 | -624 bearers (-16.3%) | Down 1,073 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 Whisenant 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 | #8,581 | #9,654 | -12.5% |
| Count | 3,838 | 3,214 | -16.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.30 | 1.08 | -17.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whisenant bearers went from 3,838 to 3,214 (-16.3% change). The surname moved down 1,073 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,581 to #9,654.
FAQ
Whisenant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whisenant?
Name Census estimates that about 3,686 living Americans carry the surname Whisenant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,988 residents.
How common is Whisenant?
Whisenant ranks #9,654 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 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 3,214 people with the surname Whisenant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,686), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 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 Whisenant.
Has Whisenant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whisenant went from 3,838 recorded bearers to 3,214. That is a decrease of 624 (-16.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,581 to #9,654.
What does the Census say about the background of Whisenant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whisenant, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Whisenant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (2,757 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whisenant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Black (4.8%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Whisenant (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 Whisenant mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Whitsun saint" in Old English, likely referring to a person from Whitsundale. 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 Whisenant (1.08 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 many people are called Whisenant?
Want to know how many people have the surname Whisenant? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.