2000
#4,162
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,886
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.92
Rare Last name
Whitlow
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a white mound or burial ground.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,599 Americans carry the last name Whitlow. That puts it at #4,580 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,860 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whitlow 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Whitlow with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.6K
1 in 39,860
Census rank
#4,580
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,499 bearers of the surname Whitlow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4580th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whitlow
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Whitlow 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 Whitlow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.0% · 5,328
- Black or African American20.4% · 1,531
- Two or more races4.3% · 326
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 196
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 47
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whitlow
Whitlow 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
#4,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,020
+134 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 2.72
Rank movement Down 270 places
2020
#4,580
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,499
-521 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 2.51
Rank movement Down 148 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,162 | 7,886 | 2.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,432 | 8,020 | 2.72 | +134 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 270 places |
| 2020 | #4,580 | 7,499 | 2.51 | -521 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 148 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 Whitlow 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 | #4,432 | #4,580 | -3.3% |
| Count | 8,020 | 7,499 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.72 | 2.51 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whitlow bearers went from 8,020 to 7,499 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 148 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,432 to #4,580.
FAQ
Whitlow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whitlow?
Name Census estimates that about 8,599 living Americans carry the surname Whitlow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,860 residents.
How common is Whitlow?
Whitlow ranks #4,580 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,499 people with the surname Whitlow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,599), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Whitlow.
Has Whitlow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whitlow went from 8,020 recorded bearers to 7,499. That is a decrease of 521 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,432 to #4,580.
What does the Census say about the background of Whitlow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Whitlow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.0% (5,328 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whitlow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.0%), Black (20.4%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Whitlow (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 Whitlow mean?
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a white mound or burial ground. 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 Whitlow (2.51 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 Americans have the surname Whitlow?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.