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

Whitesel, 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 Whitesel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whitesel in America

Whitesel is the 21790th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whitesel surname appeared 1,193 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Whitesel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whitesel 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 Whitesel

The surname Whitesel is believed to have its origins in Europe, specifically within the regions that now encompass Germany and surrounding areas. The earliest known usage of the surname dates back to the medieval period, approximately between the 12th and 14th centuries. It is derived from old Germanic roots and is thought to be a variant or anglicized form of the name Weitzel or Weitzsell, which itself stems from the Middle High German word "wîte," meaning 'white,' and "sel," a suffix typically denoting a place or habitation.

The name Whitesel appeared in historical records during the late medieval period, particularly in regions known for their Germanic influence. One of the earliest documented instances of the surname can be traced to the 13th century, where a Hans Weitzel is noted in municipal records of the city of Nuremberg, Germany, around 1275. These early records often reflect the name's ties to trade guilds and local administration, suggesting that bearers of the name Whitesel held reputable positions in their communities.

By the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname Whitesel began to appear more frequently in written documents, such as tax records, property registries, and church documentation. In 1463, a Johann Whitesel is documented as being a landowner in what is now modern-day Bavaria. This indicates that the Whitesel family had established themselves in certain locales, with their name being recorded consistently over time.

Among notable individuals bearing the Whitesel surname, Johannes Whitesel was a prominent figure in the early 1600s, known for his contributions to local governance in Strasbourg. His administrative leadership has been documented in town council records dating to 1628. Additionally, Conrad Whitesel, born in 1692, was a well-respected merchant in Mainz, making significant impacts on the local economy through his trade endeavors.

During the 18th century, the surname Whitesel saw variations in spelling, with instances such as Whitessel and Whitesell being recorded in different regions due to dialectic discrepancies and orthographic conventions of the time. One of the notable persons from this era is Peter Whitesell, born in 1721, who emigrated to the New World and is known to have settled in the Pennsylvania Colony, contributing to the spread of the name in America.

In historical manuscripts, the Whitesel surname often appears in legal and property documents, signifying the family's established presence and continuity over generations. The consistency of the name across these records attests to its endurance and the prominent roles its bearers played within their respective societies through the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whitesel

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

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

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

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