2000
#2,016
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,488
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.11
Uncommon Last name
Whitt
Derived from a place name meaning "white" or from a nickname for someone with white hair or a pale complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,609 Americans carry the last name Whitt. That puts it at #2,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,419 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whitt 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 Whitt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,419
Census rank
#2,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,228 bearers of the surname Whitt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whitt
The surname Whitt is an English name that originated in the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "hwit," meaning "white," which was likely an occupational surname given to someone who worked with white materials, such as a miller or bleacher.
The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with records showing variations such as Whyte and Whytte appearing in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Shropshire, and Gloucestershire. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Aleyn Whyt, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.
In the late 14th century, the Whitt surname appeared in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire, indicating its presence in the region during that time. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Whitt name, but it does mention several locations with similar-sounding names, such as Whitby and Whitwell.
One notable person with the Whitt surname was William Whitt (c. 1610-1684), an English Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Wickham Market in Suffolk. Another individual of historical significance was John Whitt (1677-1743), a prominent Anglican clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Worcester and Rector of Wootton Wawen in Warwickshire.
In the 16th century, the Whitt surname was found in various locations across England, including Staffordshire, where a record from 1532 mentions a John Whytt. In the 17th century, the name appeared in Gloucestershire, with a baptismal record from 1658 showing a Thomas Whitt.
Other notable individuals with the Whitt surname include James Whitt (1760-1833), an English poet and writer from Gloucestershire, and Thomas Whitt (1805-1877), a British engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to steam engines and agricultural machinery.
While the Whitt surname is predominantly English in origin, it has also been found in other parts of the British Isles and beyond, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it emerged as an occupational name related to the color white.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whitt
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Whitt 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 Whitt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 13,304
- Black or African American10.6% · 1,722
- Two or more races4.0% · 651
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 389
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 84
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 78
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whitt
Whitt 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
#2,092
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,293
+805 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 5.86
Rank movement Down 76 places
2020
#2,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,228
-1,065 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 5.43
Rank movement Down 90 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,016 | 16,488 | 6.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,092 | 17,293 | 5.86 | +805 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 76 places |
| 2020 | #2,182 | 16,228 | 5.43 | -1,065 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 90 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 Whitt 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 | #2,092 | #2,182 | -4.3% |
| Count | 17,293 | 16,228 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 5.86 | 5.43 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whitt bearers went from 17,293 to 16,228 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 90 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,092 to #2,182.
FAQ
Whitt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whitt?
Name Census estimates that about 18,609 living Americans carry the surname Whitt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,419 residents.
How common is Whitt?
Whitt ranks #2,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,228 people with the surname Whitt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,609), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Whitt.
Has Whitt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whitt went from 17,293 recorded bearers to 16,228. That is a decrease of 1,065 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,092 to #2,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Whitt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Whitt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (13,304 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whitt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Black (10.6%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Whitt (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 Whitt mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "white" or from a nickname for someone with white hair or a pale complexion. 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 Whitt (5.43 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 people have the surname Whitt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.