2000
#4,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,395
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.74
Rare Last name
Whiteman
A descriptive surname referring to a person with very pale skin or white hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,383 Americans carry the last name Whiteman. That puts it at #4,702 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,887 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whiteman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Whiteman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.4K
1 in 40,887
Census rank
#4,702
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,310 bearers of the surname Whiteman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4702nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whiteman, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whiteman
The surname WHITEMAN is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is a descriptive name derived from the Old English words "hwit" meaning white and "man" referring to a person. The name likely originated as a nickname for someone with fair hair or complexion, distinguishing them from others in their community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the WHITEMAN surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mentions a William Whyteman. The Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273 also lists a John Whiteman among the tenants of that county.
In the 14th century, the WHITEMAN name appears in various medieval records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1317, which references a Adam Whyteman. The name is also found in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, listing a Thomas Whyteman as a taxpayer.
The WHITEMAN surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One example is John Whiteman (c.1500-1557), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton in Somerset during the reign of Queen Mary I.
Another prominent figure bearing this surname was William Whiteman (1621-1685), an English writer and philosopher who authored several works on metaphysics and theology, including "The Immateriality of the Soul" published in 1679.
In the 18th century, Samuel Whiteman (1724-1786) was a successful merchant and landowner in Worcestershire, England. He served as the High Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1768 and contributed significantly to the local economy and community.
The WHITEMAN surname has also been found in various place names throughout England, such as Whitemansfield in Gloucestershire and Whitemansgreen in Buckinghamshire, further indicating the historical presence and influence of families bearing this name.
In the 19th century, Sir George Whiteman (1819-1895) was a notable British civil engineer who oversaw the construction of several major railway projects, including the London Underground and the Manchester Ship Canal.
Throughout its long history, the WHITEMAN surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name across different eras and regions of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whiteman
Among Census respondents with the surname Whiteman, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Whiteman 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 Whiteman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.5% · 5,882
- American Indian and Alaska Native6.1% · 448
- Two or more races4.5% · 330
- Black or African American4.2% · 306
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 297
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 47
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whiteman
Whiteman 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
#4,645
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,642
+247 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 2.59
Rank movement Down 213 places
2020
#4,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,310
-332 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 2.45
Rank movement Down 57 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,432 | 7,395 | 2.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,645 | 7,642 | 2.59 | +247 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 213 places |
| 2020 | #4,702 | 7,310 | 2.45 | -332 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 57 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 Whiteman 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 | #4,645 | #4,702 | -1.2% |
| Count | 7,642 | 7,310 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.59 | 2.45 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whiteman bearers went from 7,642 to 7,310 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 57 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,645 to #4,702.
FAQ
Whiteman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whiteman?
Name Census estimates that about 8,383 living Americans carry the surname Whiteman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,887 residents.
How common is Whiteman?
Whiteman ranks #4,702 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.45 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 7,310 people with the surname Whiteman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,383), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.45 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 Whiteman.
Has Whiteman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whiteman went from 7,642 recorded bearers to 7,310. That is a decrease of 332 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,645 to #4,702.
What does the Census say about the background of Whiteman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whiteman, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Whiteman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.5% (5,882 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whiteman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (6.1%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Whiteman (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 Whiteman mean?
A descriptive surname referring to a person with very pale skin or white hair. 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 Whiteman (2.45 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 common is the surname Whiteman?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Whiteman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.