Whisenton last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Whisenton

Likely derived from a place name referring to someone from a wheat-growing area.

Whisenton, 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 Whisenton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whisenton in America

Whisenton is the 77012th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whisenton surname appeared 249 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Whisenton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whisenton 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 77012 79394 -3.05%
Count 249 223 11.02%
Proportion per 100k 0.08 0.08 0.00%

The history of the last name Whisenton

The surname Whisenton has its origins in England, with its roots traceable to the medieval period, around the 12th and 13th centuries. It is believed to have originated in the rural regions, particularly in the central parts of England where surnames often developed as a means to identify people based on their place of residence or their occupation.

The name Whisenton appears to be toponymic, suggesting it is derived from a place name. The place name itself might have derived from Old English, combining the elements "whist," meaning a boundary or a bend, and "tun," meaning an enclosure or a settlement. Such a combination would likely refer to a settlement near a distinctive boundary or bend in the landscape.

One of the earliest references to a similar name appears in medieval records, notably in the Hundred Rolls of 1273 which mentions a William de Wissetun, residing in Lincolnshire. This earlier spelling, Wissetun or Wystanton, reflects the variations in the recording of names during that time and indicates the locational nature of the surname.

The Whisenton name can be found in various historical documents and records over the centuries. For example, a Thomas Whysenton is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1327. This instance highlights the spread of the surname to different parts of England by the early 14th century.

One notable individual bearing the surname is Sir Robert Whisenton, a knight who served under the reign of King Edward III and participated in the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. His contributions to the battle were documented in several chronicles of the time, bringing some prominence to the Whisenton name during the medieval period.

In the 16th century, the name continued to appear in various legal documents. John Whisenton, born in 1528, is recorded in the wills and probate records in London, signifying the family’s establishment in urban areas as well.

Another significant figure was Margaret Whisenton, who was an early settler in the American colonies. Born in 1605, she emigrated to Virginia in 1638, marking the transatlantic movement of the surname and its bearers as it began to spread outside England.

The surname can also be linked to various locations in England through place names that have either faded or evolved over time. For instance, there were settlements named similar to Whisendun or Wisseton, which have largely disappeared or been absorbed into larger municipalities.

This history of the surname Whisenton reflects a rich tapestry of evolution from its likely geographic origins in England, through various medieval records, and notable historical figures that carried the name forward across centuries and continents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whisenton

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

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 Whisenton was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Black Only 91.97% 229
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 5.62% 14
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Whisenton has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White (S)% (S)% (S)%
Black 91.97% 95.07% -3.31%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 5.62% 4.04% 32.71%
Hispanic (S)% 0.00% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Whisenton last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/whisenton-surname-popularity/.

"Whisenton last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/whisenton-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Whisenton last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/whisenton-surname-popularity/.

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