2000
#7,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,386
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.63
Rare Last name
Whitener
An occupational surname for someone who whitened or bleached fabric, leather, or other materials.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,906 Americans carry the last name Whitener. That puts it at #7,507 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,864 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whitener 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
4.9K
1 in 69,864
Census rank
#7,507
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,278 bearers of the surname Whitener in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7507th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitener, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whitener
The surname Whitener is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a descriptive name derived from the Old English word "hwit," meaning white, and the occupational suffix "-ener," indicating someone who worked with or produced white materials, such as a bleacher or whitewasher.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Whitener appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273, where it is spelled "Whytener." This suggests that the name was initially concentrated in the county of Lincolnshire, located in the East Midlands region of England.
During the Middle Ages, the Whitener surname was likely associated with individuals involved in the production of white cloth or the whitening process used in textile manufacturing. As the textile industry flourished in England, particularly in the wool trade, the Whitener name may have become more widespread.
One notable historical reference to the Whitener name is found in the records of the Guild of Weavers, Walkers, and Litsters (dyers) in the city of Norwich, Norfolk, dating back to the 15th century. Several individuals with the surname Whitener are listed as members of this guild, indicating their involvement in the textile industry.
Among the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Whitener are:
1. John Whitener (c. 1350 – 1415), a bleacher and merchant from Nottinghamshire.
2. Alice Whitener (c. 1420 – 1485), a whitewasher from Yorkshire.
3. William Whitener (c. 1490 – 1560), a cloth merchant and member of the Guild of Weavers in Norwich.
4. Thomas Whitener (c. 1530 – 1595), a bleacher and landowner from Lincolnshire.
5. Elizabeth Whitener (c. 1570 – 1635), a whitewasher and housewife from Gloucestershire.
As the Whitener surname spread throughout England, it also gained variations in spelling, such as Whitner, Whittener, and Whittiner. Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or the adaptation of the name to different areas.
While the Whitener surname is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history rooted in the textile industry and the skilled trades associated with the production and finishing of white materials.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whitener
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitener, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Whitener 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 Whitener surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.0% · 3,337
- Black or African American11.5% · 494
- Two or more races4.9% · 210
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 141
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whitener
Whitener 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
#7,481
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,453
+67 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Down 439 places
2020
#7,507
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,278
-175 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,042 | 4,386 | 1.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,481 | 4,453 | 1.51 | +67 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 439 places |
| 2020 | #7,507 | 4,278 | 1.43 | -175 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 26 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 Whitener 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 | #7,481 | #7,507 | -0.3% |
| Count | 4,453 | 4,278 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.51 | 1.43 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whitener bearers went from 4,453 to 4,278 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,481 to #7,507.
FAQ
Whitener surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whitener?
Name Census estimates that about 4,906 living Americans carry the surname Whitener. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,864 residents.
How common is Whitener?
Whitener ranks #7,507 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,278 people with the surname Whitener. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,906), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Whitener.
Has Whitener become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whitener went from 4,453 recorded bearers to 4,278. That is a decrease of 175 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,481 to #7,507.
What does the Census say about the background of Whitener?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitener, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Whitener in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.0% (3,337 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whitener appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.0%), Black (11.5%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Whitener (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 Whitener mean?
An occupational surname for someone who whitened or bleached fabric, leather, or other materials. 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 Whitener (1.43 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 Whitener?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.