2000
#14,550
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,878
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Whiteaker
A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a light-colored or white oak tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,155 Americans carry the last name Whiteaker. That puts it at #15,076 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,051 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whiteaker 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 Whiteaker with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 159,051
Census rank
#15,076
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,879 bearers of the surname Whiteaker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15076th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whiteaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whiteaker
The surname Whiteaker originates from England and is most commonly associated with the counties of Devonshire and Yorkshire. The name dates back to the medieval period, with its earliest forms appearing in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. The name Whiteaker is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hwit," meaning white, and "æcer," meaning field or cultivated land. This indicates that the name likely described someone who lived by or owned a piece of pale or light-colored land.
One of the earliest known references to the surname appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax records of 1379, where a William Whittaker is listed. This suggests that the surname was already established in England by the late 14th century. The name underwent various spellings over the centuries, including Whittacre, Whittaker, and Whitaker, reflecting regional dialects and changes in language over time.
A notable historical figure with the surname is Thomas Whittaker (1611-1646), an English Catholic martyr who was executed during the English Civil War for refusing to renounce his faith. Another prominent person is Sir Edward Whittaker (1655-1721), an English colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Bermuda. Additionally, Richard Whittaker (1730-1804) was a well-known landowner and philanthropist in Yorkshire, who contributed to local social causes.
In the 19th century, the name Whiteaker became associated with Thomas Whittaker (1796-1872), a British publisher and bookseller known for his contributions to the dissemination of religious and educational texts. Another significant individual is Sir John Whitaker Hulke (1830-1895), a distinguished surgeon and geologist who made considerable contributions to the scientific community.
Thus, the surname Whiteaker not only reveals a connection to a specific geographical feature in medieval England but also highlights a lineage of individuals who played various roles in British historical, social, and scientific contexts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whiteaker
Among Census respondents with the surname Whiteaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Whiteaker 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 Whiteaker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 1,698
- Two or more races4.3% · 80
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 63
- Black or African American0.7% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whiteaker
Whiteaker 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
#15,520
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,886
+8 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 970 places
2020
#15,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,879
-7 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 444 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,550 | 1,878 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,520 | 1,886 | 0.64 | +8 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 970 places |
| 2020 | #15,076 | 1,879 | 0.63 | -7 bearers (-0.4%) | Up 444 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 Whiteaker 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 | #15,520 | #15,076 | 2.9% |
| Count | 1,886 | 1,879 | -0.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.63 | -1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whiteaker bearers went from 1,886 to 1,879 (-0.4% change). The surname moved up 444 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,520 to #15,076.
FAQ
Whiteaker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whiteaker?
Name Census estimates that about 2,155 living Americans carry the surname Whiteaker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,051 residents.
How common is Whiteaker?
Whiteaker ranks #15,076 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,879 people with the surname Whiteaker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,155), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Whiteaker.
Has Whiteaker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whiteaker went from 1,886 recorded bearers to 1,879. That is a decrease of 7 (-0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,520 to #15,076.
What does the Census say about the background of Whiteaker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whiteaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Whiteaker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (1,698 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whiteaker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Whiteaker (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 Whiteaker mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a light-colored or white oak tree. 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 Whiteaker (0.63 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 have the surname Whiteaker?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.