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

Whitehair, 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 Whitehair surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whitehair in America

Whitehair is the 17551st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whitehair surname appeared 1,603 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 Whitehair.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whitehair 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 Whitehair

The surname Whitehair has its origins in medieval England. The earliest derivation of the name can be traced back to the Old English words "hwita", meaning white, and "hære", meaning hair. The name likely referred to a person with noticeably white or light-colored hair, a characteristic that became a distinguishing family trait.

Whitehair is primarily associated with regions in England such as Yorkshire and Lancashire, where early forms of the name appeared in local records. Various spellings have been documented over the centuries, including Whiteheer and Whytayre. These variations reflect the phonetic spelling conventions of the time and regional dialectal influences.

One of the earliest references to the name Whitehair appears in the England Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1332, where a Richard Whitehair is listed as a taxpayer. This document provides crucial evidence that the surname was in use in the early 14th century and gives an indication of its geographic distribution.

A significant historical figure bearing the surname Whitehair was Thomas Whitehair, born in 1484 in Lancashire. He served as a local alderman and was known for his contributions to the community. His records show the surname gaining prominence and recognition beyond its initial geographic bounds.

In the 16th century, another notable person was Elizabeth Whitehair, born in 1512. She is mentioned in marriage records from the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Somerset, indicating the spread of the surname to southwestern England. Her marriage to John Green in 1532 highlights the integration of the Whitehair name into various social strata.

In the 17th century, a well-documented family with the surname lived in the parish of St. Peter's in Yorkshire. James Whitehair, born in 1643, was a yeoman known for his extensive landholdings and agricultural expertise. His wealth and social standing are captured in parish records and property deeds, emphasizing the established nature of the surname by this period.

The American colonial era brought the surname Whitehair across the Atlantic. John Whitehair, born in 1701 in England, emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1723. His family became well-established in the New World, contributing to the early colonial development of areas like Lancaster County. Records from this era illustrate the name's transatlantic journey and continued legacy.

In the 19th century, Sarah Whitehair, born in 1819 in Ohio, became a pioneer figure in the westward movement. Her family was among the early settlers in Nebraska, where she is recorded in land grant documents and pioneer registries. Sarah's contributions to American frontier life demonstrate how the Whitehair surname was carried into the burgeoning new nation.

The surname Whitehair, while not exceedingly common, carries a rich history rooted in medieval England and encompasses notable figures across centuries who contributed to various societal developments in both the Old and New Worlds.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whitehair

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

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

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

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