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

Whitlow, 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 Whitlow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whitlow in America

Whitlow is the 4432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whitlow surname appeared 8,020 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Whitlow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whitlow 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 Whitlow

The surname "Whitlow" is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is thought to derive from the Old English words "hwit" meaning white, and "hlaw" meaning a small hill or mound. Thus, the name Whitlow likely referred to someone who lived near a white hill or mound.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Witlau" and "Witlowe." This suggests that the name had already been in use for some time before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Over the centuries, various spellings emerged, including Whitlaw, Whitloe, and Whitelow, before settling on the modern form of Whitlow.

In the 13th century, records show a John de Whitelow living in Lancashire, indicating that the name had taken on a locational prefix by that time. Another early bearer of the name was William Whitlow, who was born in Yorkshire around 1450 and served as a soldier during the Wars of the Roses.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Whitlow family spread across various parts of England, with notable members including Richard Whitlow (1560-1629), a wealthy merchant from London, and Thomas Whitlow (1610-1685), a Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s.

In the 18th century, the name gained prominence with the life of John Whitlow (1720-1798), a renowned clockmaker from Cheshire. His exquisitely crafted timepieces were highly sought after by wealthy patrons across Europe. Another notable figure was Sarah Whitlow (1760-1842), a philanthropist from Yorkshire who founded several schools and hospitals for the underprivileged.

As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, many Whitlows found employment in the flourishing textile mills and factories of northern England. One such person was James Whitlow (1825-1901), a skilled weaver from Lancashire who became a prominent figure in the local trade union movement.

While the Whitlow name has its roots firmly planted in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration. Bearers of this surname can be found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, reflecting the historical movement of people from the British Isles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whitlow

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

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

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

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