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

Whitney, 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 Whitney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whitney in America

Whitney is the 994th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whitney surname appeared 35,118 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Whitney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whitney 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 Whitney

The surname WHITNEY is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hwit" meaning white and "ey" meaning island or meadow. It likely refers to a person who lived on a "white" or light-colored meadow or island. The earliest recorded instance of the surname dates back to the 13th century in Herefordshire, England.

The WHITNEY name has a strong connection to several notable historical figures. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Sir Robert Whitney, who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War. Another prominent bearer was Geffrey Whitney, an English poet and writer who published "A Choice of Emblems" in 1586, which was influential in the development of emblem literature.

The WHITNEY surname also has ties to the American colonies. John Whitney, born in 1589 in England, was among the early Puritan settlers who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635. His descendants went on to play significant roles in the early years of the United States, including Henry Whitney, born in 1719, who served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, Eli Whitney, born in 1765 in Massachusetts, gained fame as the inventor of the cotton gin, a revolutionary machine that transformed the cotton industry and had a profound impact on the economy and society of the American South. His invention made cotton a lucrative crop, but also led to an increased demand for slave labor.

Another notable bearer of the WHITNEY name was William Dwight Whitney, born in 1827 in Massachusetts. He was a prominent linguist, philologist, and lexicographer, known for his work on Sanskrit grammar and his contributions to the development of modern linguistic theory. He was also the chief editor of the first edition of the Century Dictionary.

Throughout history, the WHITNEY surname has been associated with various locations, including the village of Whitney in Herefordshire, England, which likely served as the origin of the name. Additionally, there are several places named Whitney in the United States, including towns in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Texas, reflecting the influence of the early WHITNEY settlers in the American colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whitney

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

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

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

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