2000
#3,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,240
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.05
Rare Last name
Whitcomb
A locational surname derived from any of several places named Whitcombe, meaning "white valley" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,227 Americans carry the last name Whitcomb. That puts it at #4,263 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,147 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whitcomb 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Whitcomb with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.2K
1 in 37,147
Census rank
#4,263
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,046 bearers of the surname Whitcomb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4263rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitcomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whitcomb
The surname Whitcomb has its origins in England, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Whitcombe in Dorset or Whitcomb in Gloucestershire. The name is composed of the Old English elements "hwit," meaning white, and "cumb," meaning a valley or hollow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Witecumbe." This entry refers to a location in Somerset. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, Whitcomb.
In the 13th century, records show a William de Whitcombe from Gloucestershire, indicating the name's association with that county. The "de" prefix signifies the individual's connection to the place Whitcomb.
During the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name was John Whitcomb (c. 1530-1604), an English theologian and Puritan minister. He served as the vicar of Stratford-upon-Avon and was known for his religious teachings.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Elijah Whitcomb (1737-1806), an American farmer and soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill and other significant engagements.
In the 19th century, John Whitcomb (1817-1894) was a distinguished American educator and author. He served as the principal of the Marlborough High School in Massachusetts and wrote several educational works, including "Common School Grammar" and "The Student's Manual of Geography."
Nathaniel Whitcomb (1824-1890) was a notable American businessman and politician. He founded the Whitcomb Locomotive Works in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and later served as the mayor of that city.
Another notable figure was Charles Whitcomb (1878-1963), an American architect best known for designing several prominent buildings in Portland, Oregon, including the Multnomah County Central Library and the Oregon State Hospital.
While the surname Whitcomb has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through migration and settlement patterns. The name continues to carry its historical connections to its locational origins and has been borne by individuals from diverse walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whitcomb
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitcomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Whitcomb 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 Whitcomb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 7,233
- Two or more races3.3% · 267
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 254
- Black or African American2.3% · 186
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 45
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whitcomb
Whitcomb 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
#4,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,324
+84 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 2.82
Rank movement Down 309 places
2020
#4,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,046
-278 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 2.69
Rank movement No rank change
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,954 | 8,240 | 3.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,263 | 8,324 | 2.82 | +84 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 309 places |
| 2020 | #4,263 | 8,046 | 2.69 | -278 bearers (-3.3%) | No rank change |
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 Whitcomb 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 | #4,263 | #4,263 | 0.0% |
| Count | 8,324 | 8,046 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.82 | 2.69 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whitcomb bearers went from 8,324 to 8,046 (-3.3% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, remaining at #4,263.
FAQ
Whitcomb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whitcomb?
Name Census estimates that about 9,227 living Americans carry the surname Whitcomb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,147 residents.
How common is Whitcomb?
Whitcomb ranks #4,263 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,046 people with the surname Whitcomb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,227), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Whitcomb.
Has Whitcomb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whitcomb went from 8,324 recorded bearers to 8,046. That is a decrease of 278 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it stayed at #4,263.
What does the Census say about the background of Whitcomb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitcomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Whitcomb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (7,233 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whitcomb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Whitcomb (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 Whitcomb mean?
A locational surname derived from any of several places named Whitcombe, meaning "white valley" in Old English. 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 Whitcomb (2.69 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 common is the surname Whitcomb?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Whitcomb at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.