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

Whitson, 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 Whitson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whitson in America

Whitson is the 3820th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whitson surname appeared 9,273 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 Whitson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whitson 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 Whitson

The surname Whitson has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hwit" meaning white and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, suggesting that it was originally a locational name for someone living in a white-colored town or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Whitson can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where it appears as "William de Whittone." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

In the 14th century, the name Whitson appeared in various historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where it was spelled "Whitton." This suggests that the name was present in different regions of England during this period.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Whitson. However, it does mention several placenames that may have contributed to the formation of the surname, such as "Wittun" in Derbyshire and "Witton" in Northamptonshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Whitson throughout history include:

1. John Whitson (c. 1557 - 1629), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Bishop of Winchester from 1599 until his death.

2. Richard Whitson (1573 - 1647), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Bath in the early 17th century.

3. Mary Whitson (1633 - 1712), an English Quaker who was persecuted for her religious beliefs and spent time in prison during the late 17th century.

4. William Whitson (1796 - 1876), a Scottish poet and songwriter best known for his works in the Scots language.

5. Thomas Whitson (1846 - 1921), a British engineer and inventor who patented several innovations in the field of steam engine design.

The surname Whitson has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Whitson in Derbyshire, Whitston in Herefordshire, and Whitston in Shropshire. These place names likely contributed to the spread and variations of the surname over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whitson

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

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

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

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