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

Whitmore, 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 Whitmore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whitmore in America

Whitmore is the 2380th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whitmore surname appeared 15,296 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Whitmore.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whitmore 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 Whitmore

The surname Whitmore is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to a white or light-colored area. It likely emerged in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

The name is believed to have originated in Staffordshire, where there are several locations with similar names, such as Whitmore Reans and Whitmore Village. It may also be connected to the Whitmore Estate in Shropshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Witemore." This suggests the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, a Walter de Witemore was documented as holding lands in Staffordshire. This provides evidence of the surname's use during the Middle Ages.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir George Whitmore (c. 1636-1723), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Bridgnorth from 1685 to 1687.

Another prominent figure was William Wolryche Whitmore (1787-1858), an English antiquarian and historian who wrote extensively on the history of Shropshire and Staffordshire.

Reverend Charles Edward Whitmore (1822-1892) was an English clergyman and author, known for his works on the history of the Whitmore family.

In the United States, John Whitmore (1778-1835) was a lawyer and politician who served as a Congressman from Massachusetts from 1811 to 1813.

William Henry Whitmore (1836-1900) was an American genealogist and historian, known for his publications on the early settlers of New England.

The Whitmore surname has a long and well-documented history, with roots dating back to medieval England and connections to various regions, particularly Staffordshire and Shropshire. It has been borne by notable individuals across different fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whitmore

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

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

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

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