2000
#14,745
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,847
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Whitesides
A surname referring to someone who lived near a white hillside or bank.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,158 Americans carry the last name Whitesides. That puts it at #15,056 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,830 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whitesides 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
2.2K
1 in 158,830
Census rank
#15,056
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,882 bearers of the surname Whitesides in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15056th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitesides, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whitesides
The surname Whitesides traces its origins back to England, particularly in the northern regions, with the earliest records dating back to the medieval period. The name is primarily found in Lancashire, a county known for its rural landscapes and industrial heritage. Whitesides is believed to be a locational surname, often derived from geographical features or the name of a place where the original bearers resided.
The etymology of Whitesides comes from the Old English words "hwita" meaning white and "sid" meaning side or slope, referring to a hillside or a slope that was white, possibly due to chalk deposits or snow-covered landscapes. It is interesting to note that names related to geographical features were quite common in the medieval period, as they provided a straightforward way to identify individuals based on their living surroundings.
Historical references to the surname can be found in various documents and records. One notable mention appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332, where a John de Whiteside is listed. This suggests that the name was in use and recognized as a distinct family name by the early 14th century. The use of "de" before the surname implies that it was likely originally associated with a specific location known as Whiteside or White Hill.
Early recorded examples of the name also include Robert de Whiteside, who appears in records from the same region in the 15th century. The spelling of surnames during this period was often inconsistent, with variations such as Whitside, Whitesides, and Whytside all being documented.
One notable individual carrying the Whitesides surname was James Whitesides, born in 1772 in England and later emigrated to the United States, where he became a prominent figure in Ohio's early political landscape. Another historical figure is Charles Whitesides, a 17th-century merchant known for his trading ventures between England and the West Indies.
Further back in England, Alexander Whitesides, who lived in the late 16th century, was recorded as a landowner in Lancashire. This suggests that the family had established themselves and gained some level of prosperity by this time. Moving into the 19th century, Thomas Whitesides, born in 1810, became known for his contributions to agricultural reforms in northern England, enhancing the productivity of local farms.
Lastly, Margaret Whitesides, born in 1864, was a notable educator and social reformer in Manchester, contributing significantly to the improvement of educational opportunities for women and children during the late Victorian era.
Overall, the surname Whitesides is deeply rooted in the geographical and social history of northern England, with records and notable individuals spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whitesides
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitesides, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Whitesides 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 Whitesides surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.5% · 1,533
- Black or African American9.1% · 172
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 75
- Two or more races3.9% · 74
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whitesides
Whitesides 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
#15,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,881
+34 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 806 places
2020
#15,056
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,882
+1 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 495 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,745 | 1,847 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,551 | 1,881 | 0.64 | +34 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 806 places |
| 2020 | #15,056 | 1,882 | 0.63 | +1 bearers (+0.1%) | Up 495 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 Whitesides 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 | #15,551 | #15,056 | 3.2% |
| Count | 1,881 | 1,882 | 0.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.63 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whitesides bearers went from 1,881 to 1,882 (+0.1% change). The surname moved up 495 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,551 to #15,056.
FAQ
Whitesides surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whitesides?
Name Census estimates that about 2,158 living Americans carry the surname Whitesides. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,830 residents.
How common is Whitesides?
Whitesides ranks #15,056 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,882 people with the surname Whitesides. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,158), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Whitesides.
Has Whitesides become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whitesides went from 1,881 recorded bearers to 1,882. That is an increase of 1 (+0.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,551 to #15,056.
What does the Census say about the background of Whitesides?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitesides, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Whitesides in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.5% (1,533 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whitesides appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.5%), Black (9.1%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Whitesides (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 Whitesides mean?
A surname referring to someone who lived near a white hillside or bank. 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 Whitesides (0.63 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 Whitesides?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Whitesides on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.