2000
#4,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,549
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.80
Rare Last name
Whited
A descriptive surname referring to someone with very fair or white hair, skin, or clothing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,344 Americans carry the last name Whited. That puts it at #4,718 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,078 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whited 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.
Bearers in the US
8.3K
1 in 41,078
Census rank
#4,718
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,276 bearers of the surname Whited in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4718th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whited, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whited
The surname Whited has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have been derived from the Old English word "hwit," which means "white" or "fair." This suggests that the name may have been given as a descriptive nickname to someone with fair hair or a pale complexion.
In the early days, surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or places of origin. The surname Whited likely originated as a descriptive name, indicating a person's physical appearance or perhaps a place associated with a "white" or light-colored area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Whited can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, dating back to 1195. This historical document mentions a person named Richard Whited, suggesting that the name was already in use during the late 12th century.
Over the centuries, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Whithed, Whitthed, and Whythed. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during earlier times.
Notable individuals with the surname Whited include:
1. John Whited (1617-1692), an English Puritan minister and author who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the mid-17th century.
2. Sarah Whited (1761-1847), an American pioneer and one of the first settlers in the Ohio territory, known for her bravery during the Northwest Indian War.
3. William Whited (1825-1891), an American politician who served as the 8th Lieutenant Governor of Iowa from 1866 to 1868.
4. Charles Whited (1865-1932), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio from 1909 to 1911.
5. Elizabeth Whited (1892-1976), an American artist and portraitist known for her paintings of notable figures, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
While the surname Whited has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and other English-speaking countries. The name continues to hold significance as a reflection of its historical origins and the individuals who have carried it through the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whited
Among Census respondents with the surname Whited, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Whited 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 Whited surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 6,510
- Two or more races4.7% · 342
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 212
- Black or African American1.9% · 141
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whited
Whited 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
#4,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,482
-67 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 2.54
Rank movement Down 389 places
2020
#4,718
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,276
-206 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 2.43
Rank movement Up 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,350 | 7,549 | 2.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,739 | 7,482 | 2.54 | -67 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 389 places |
| 2020 | #4,718 | 7,276 | 2.43 | -206 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 21 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 Whited 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 | #4,739 | #4,718 | 0.4% |
| Count | 7,482 | 7,276 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.54 | 2.43 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whited bearers went from 7,482 to 7,276 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,739 to #4,718.
FAQ
Whited surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whited?
Name Census estimates that about 8,344 living Americans carry the surname Whited. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,078 residents.
How common is Whited?
Whited ranks #4,718 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,276 people with the surname Whited. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,344), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Whited.
Has Whited become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whited went from 7,482 recorded bearers to 7,276. That is a decrease of 206 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,739 to #4,718.
What does the Census say about the background of Whited?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whited, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Whited in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (6,510 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whited appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Whited (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 Whited mean?
A descriptive surname referring to someone with very fair or white hair, skin, or clothing. 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 Whited (2.43 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 last name Whited?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Whited on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.