2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Whitekiller
A surname potentially derived from an individual's occupation or reputation related to harming or killing white people.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 150 Americans carry the last name Whitekiller. That puts it at #133,930 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,285,029 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whitekiller 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
150
1 in 2,285,029
Census rank
#133,930
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
131
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 131 bearers of the surname Whitekiller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 133930th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitekiller, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 51.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (24.4%) and White (22.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whitekiller
The surname WHITEKILLER has its origins in 17th century England, with the earliest recorded instances found in the county of Worcestershire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hwit" meaning white, and "cyllan" meaning to kill or slay, suggesting a potential occupation or deed associated with the name's original bearer.
Records from the parish of Evesham in Worcestershire mention a Thomas Whitekiller in 1643, who was a farmer and landowner. The nearby village of Bretforton also has references to a John Whitekiller in 1657, listed as a local blacksmith.
The name appears to have spread to other parts of England in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. One notable figure was William Whitekiller (1705-1782), a renowned clockmaker from the city of Bristol, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the wealthy aristocracy of the time.
As the British Empire expanded, the surname WHITEKILLER found its way to the American colonies. A prominent early bearer was Samuel Whitekiller (1725-1803), a merchant and landowner from Virginia who played a role in the American Revolutionary War, supplying provisions to the Continental Army.
In the 19th century, the name appeared in various records across the United States. One noteworthy individual was Elizabeth Whitekiller (1832-1912), a pioneering educator who established several schools for Native American children in Oklahoma.
Another significant figure was John Whitekiller (1856-1926), a Cherokee leader and advocate for Native American rights, who worked tirelessly to preserve the cultural heritage and land rights of his people.
While the surname WHITEKILLER is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich and diverse history spanning several centuries and continents, reflecting the journeys and contributions of those who bore this distinctive name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whitekiller
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitekiller, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 51.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (24.4%) and White (22.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Whitekiller 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 Whitekiller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native51.1% · 67
- Two or more races24.4% · 32
- White22.1% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whitekiller
Whitekiller 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
+24 bearers (+23.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,047 places
2020
#133,930
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+4 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 882 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | +24 bearers (+23.3%) | Up 14,047 places |
| 2020 | #133,930 | 131 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 882 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 Whitekiller 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 | #133,048 | #133,930 | -0.7% |
| Count | 127 | 131 | 3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whitekiller bearers went from 127 to 131 (+3.1% change). The surname moved down 882 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #133,930.
FAQ
Whitekiller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whitekiller?
Name Census estimates that about 150 living Americans carry the surname Whitekiller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,285,029 residents.
How common is Whitekiller?
Whitekiller ranks #133,930 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 131 people with the surname Whitekiller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (150), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Whitekiller.
Has Whitekiller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whitekiller went from 127 recorded bearers to 131. That is an increase of 4 (+3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #133,930.
What does the Census say about the background of Whitekiller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitekiller, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 51.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (24.4%) and White (22.1%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Whitekiller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.1% (67 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whitekiller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (51.1%), Two or More Races (24.4%), White (22.1%). 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 Whitekiller (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 Whitekiller mean?
A surname potentially derived from an individual's occupation or reputation related to harming or killing white people. 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 Whitekiller (0.04 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 share the surname Whitekiller?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.