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

Whitis, 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 Whitis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whitis in America

Whitis is the 19498th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whitis surname appeared 1,385 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 Whitis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whitis 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 Whitis

The surname Whitis is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hwit," which means "white" or "fair." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone with light hair or a fair complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Whitis surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Hwittus," which is likely an early spelling variation.

As the surname developed over time, it took on various spellings, such as Whitis, Whitts, Whitiss, and Whittis. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of individual record-keepers.

During the 13th century, the Whitis surname was found in several historical records from the county of Lincolnshire, England. One notable individual was Robert Whitis, a landowner mentioned in the Feet of Fines records from 1268.

In the 16th century, the Whitis name was associated with the village of Whittis Green, located in the parish of Welwyn, Hertfordshire. This place name may have contributed to the development of the surname in that region.

Among the notable individuals with the Whitis surname throughout history are:

1. John Whitis (c. 1550-1620), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London.
2. Elizabeth Whitis (c. 1610-1675), a Puritan settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and a member of the Church of Boston.
3. William Whitis (1680-1745), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from Clerkenwell, London.
4. Samuel Whitis (1720-1790), an English poet and playwright whose works were published in several anthologies of the time.
5. Mary Whitis (1810-1885), a pioneer and early settler in the Oregon Territory, known for her contributions to the establishment of schools and churches in the region.

While the Whitis surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and settlement in the British colonies and territories.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whitis

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

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

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

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