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

Whitby, 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 Whitby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whitby in America

Whitby is the 12279th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whitby surname appeared 2,532 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Whitby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whitby 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 Whitby

The surname Whitby originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, deriving from the town of Whitby in North Yorkshire. The name Whitby itself comes from the Old Norse words "hvit" meaning white and "by" meaning town or village, referring to the white color of the houses in the area.

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname Whitby appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, where one Robert de Whiteby is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by this time, and likely originated earlier in the 11th or 12th century.

Whitby was an important fishing town and port in medieval times, and the name likely gained prominence due to the economic activities of its residents. The town is also known for its association with the famous Anglo-Saxon poet Caedmon, who lived in Whitby Abbey in the 7th century.

One notable bearer of the Whitby surname was Sir Henry Whitby (c.1573-1629), an English merchant and member of the East India Company. He played a significant role in establishing trade relations between England and India during the early 17th century.

Another prominent figure was Daniel Whitby (1638-1726), an English Anglican theologian and biblical scholar. He is best known for his work "Paraphrase and Commentary on the New Testament," which was influential in its time.

In the 18th century, John Whitby (1714-1784) was a British politician and Member of Parliament for Nottingham. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1766.

Moving into the 19th century, Sir Edward Whitby (1805-1875) was a British naval officer and explorer. He served in the Royal Navy and was part of several important expeditions, including the exploration of the Antarctic regions.

Finally, in the 20th century, Beatrice Whitby (1914-1996) was a British artist and sculptor known for her abstract works in various media, including metal, stone, and wood.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Whitby throughout history, showcasing the longevity and significance of this English locational name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whitby

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

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

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

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