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

Whitefield, 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 Whitefield surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whitefield in America

Whitefield is the 19200th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whitefield surname appeared 1,414 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 Whitefield.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whitefield 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 Whitefield

The surname Whitefield originates from England during the medieval period. The name is a locational surname, derived from places named Whitefield in several parts of England. Specifically, one notable area is in the counties of Lancashire and Gloucestershire. It is composed of two Old English elements: "hwit," meaning white, and "feld," meaning field or open land.

Historical records show variations of the spelling, including Whitfield, Whetefield, and Witefeld. The name Whitefield can be found as early as the 12th century in ancient charters and land grants. One of the earliest recorded instances of a similar name appears in the Pipe Rolls in 1169, with a Robert de Witefeld mentioned.

George Whitefield (1714-1770) is perhaps one of the most famous bearers of this surname. Born in Gloucester, England, he was a prominent preacher in the Methodist movement and played a significant role in the Great Awakening in the American colonies. His evangelical mission extended across the Atlantic, influencing religious thought in both England and America.

Another notable individual is Henry Whitefield, an English settler born in 1590 who became a prominent figure in the early history of New England. He emigrated to America and contributed to the establishment of the town of Guilford, Connecticut, in 1639. His preserved residence, the Henry Whitfield House, is now a museum.

John Whitefield, a less-celebrated but historically relevant person, was an English painter born in 1650. His landscape and portrait works, though not widely recognized today, were appreciated in his time and contribute to the cultural history of the period.

In the field of literature, Benjamin Whitefield, born in 1804, was a noted English poet and playwright. Though not as enduringly famous as contemporaries like Wordsworth and Coleridge, his works reflect the sentiments and aesthetics of English Romanticism in the 19th century.

In the realm of military history, Sir Thomas Whitefield, born in 1655, served as a general in the British Army. His military career spanned several significant conflicts of his time, including the War of the Spanish Succession. His leadership and strategic acumen were noted in various military dispatches and records.

The surname Whitefield has a storied history that reflects its origins in English geography and its evolution through significant cultural, religious, and military contributions across centuries. Its bearers have made their mark from the medieval period to the early modern era, reflecting the diverse legacy of this distinguished surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whitefield

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

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

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

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