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

Whitsett, 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 Whitsett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whitsett in America

Whitsett is the 13397th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whitsett surname appeared 2,274 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Whitsett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whitsett 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 Whitsett

The surname WHITSETT is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to a location or settlement. It is believed to have originated in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.

The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "hwit" meaning white, and "sætan" meaning dwellers or settlers. This suggests that the name likely referred to people who lived in a settlement or area characterized by white or light-colored buildings, structures, or landscapes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, which mentions a John de Whytesete. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

Another early record is from the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, dated 1379, which lists a Robert Whytesete. These early documented examples provide insight into the historical prevalence of the name in different regions of England.

In the 16th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including Whitsett, Whitsitt, and Whitsitt, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable bearer of the name during this period was John Whitsett, a merchant and landowner in Warwickshire, who lived from around 1520 to 1587.

As the name spread across England, it became associated with certain place names, such as Whitsett in Shropshire and Whitsetts Green in Staffordshire. These locations likely derived their names from the same linguistic roots as the surname itself.

In the 17th century, the WHITSETT surname gained prominence in Scotland, where it is believed to have been introduced by English settlers. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was James Whitsett, a minister and religious leader who lived from 1625 to 1698.

Other notable individuals with the WHITSETT surname include:

1. Robert Whitsett (1770-1845), an American politician and lawyer from Virginia.
2. William Whitsett (1805-1878), a Presbyterian minister and educator in South Carolina.
3. Elizabeth Whitsett (1856-1935), an American educator and women's rights activist from North Carolina.
4. James Whitsett (1861-1933), a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist in California.
5. George Whitsett (1874-1954), a Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals.

While the WHITSETT surname has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions, its origins can be traced back to the early English settlements and the linguistic roots that described the characteristics of those locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whitsett

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

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

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

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