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

Whitehurst, 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 Whitehurst surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whitehurst in America

Whitehurst is the 4774th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whitehurst surname appeared 7,412 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Whitehurst.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whitehurst 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 Whitehurst

The surname WHITEHURST has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from the place name 'Whitehurst' or 'Whitehurst', which likely referred to a white wooded area or a clearing in a forest. The name is composed of the Old English words 'hwit' meaning white and 'hyrst' meaning a wooded hill or a grove.

The earliest known records of the name WHITEHURST can be traced back to the 13th century in the county of Lancashire, where it is believed to have originated. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire from 1285, which mentions a Robert de Whytehurst.

In the 14th century, the WHITEHURST name appeared in various medieval records, including the Wills and Inventories of the Northern Counties of England. One notable example from 1369 mentions a John de Whitehurst, who was a landowner in the village of Whitehurst near Burnley, Lancashire.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the WHITEHURST family spread across different parts of England, with records showing their presence in counties like Staffordshire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire. One prominent figure from this period was John Whitehurst (1713-1788), a clockmaker, scientist, and philosopher from Derbyshire, who made significant contributions to the study of geology and mineralogy.

Another notable individual was James Whitehurst (1749-1808), a writer, and poet from Staffordshire, who published several works including "The Village Curate" and "The Solitary Wanderer."

In the 18th century, the WHITEHURST name gained further recognition with the birth of John Whitehurst (1770-1835), a prominent engineer and inventor from Staffordshire. He is credited with designing and building several innovative bridges and canal structures across England.

Other notable figures include Mary Whitehurst (1828-1892), a philanthropist and social reformer from Derbyshire, who dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the working class, and Sir John Whitehurst (1857-1932), a distinguished lawyer and judge from Lancashire, who served as the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.

Throughout its history, the WHITEHURST surname has been spelled in various ways, including Whitehirst, Whythurst, and Whiteherst, reflecting the regional variations and evolving spellings over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whitehurst

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

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

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

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