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

Whispell, 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 Whispell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whispell in America

Whispell is the 89403rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whispell surname appeared 207 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 Whispell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whispell 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 Whispell

The surname Whispell is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hwispr" meaning "to whisper" and "feld" meaning "field or open land." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived in a field or open area where whispering could be heard more easily.

One of the earliest known references to the name Whispell can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were records of landowners and their holdings. This document mentions a William Whispell from the county of Somerset. The name Whispell also appears in various medieval manorial records and tax rolls from the 13th to 15th centuries.

In the late 16th century, the name Whispell was recorded in the parish records of Stratton, Cornwall, where a John Whispell was born in 1587. This region of Cornwall was known for its open fields and pastures, further supporting the connection between the name and the idea of whispering or speaking softly in an open area.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Whispell. One example is Robert Whispell (1632-1699), an English merchant and landowner who lived in Bristol. Another is William Whispell (1720-1784), a farmer and parish official from the village of Chiddingstone in Kent.

In the 19th century, the name Whispell can be found in various historical records from the United States. For instance, John Whispell (1802-1879) was a prominent businessman and landowner in Pennsylvania. His son, Charles Whispell (1835-1912), served as a Union soldier during the American Civil War.

Another notable figure with the surname Whispell was Mary Whispell (1874-1958), an American educator and women's rights activist from Ohio. She was a prominent figure in the suffrage movement and worked tirelessly to promote educational opportunities for women.

While not an exhaustive list, these examples illustrate the historical presence of the surname Whispell in various regions and its connection to the concept of whispering or speaking softly in open spaces.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whispell

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

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

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

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