2000
#7,656
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,007
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Whitted
Derived from a Middle English nickname meaning "white-haired" or "fair-haired."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,799 Americans carry the last name Whitted. That puts it at #7,623 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,422 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whitted 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.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,422
Census rank
#7,623
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,185 bearers of the surname Whitted in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7623rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitted, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whitted
The surname Whitted is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hwit," meaning white or bright, and was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone with fair hair or complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Whitted can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Robert Whyted is mentioned. This particular spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been pronounced with a long "i" sound.
During the medieval period, the Whitted surname was predominantly concentrated in the Midlands region of England, particularly in the counties of Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Several references to individuals bearing this name can be found in various historical records from these areas, such as parish registers and tax rolls.
A notable example is John Whitted, who was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1589. He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and is mentioned in the records of the Stratford-upon-Avon Corporation as a local merchant and landowner.
Another prominent figure was Sir Edward Whitted, a military commander who served under King Charles I during the English Civil War. He was born in Warwickshire in 1612 and played a significant role in several battles, including the Battle of Edgehill in 1642.
In the 17th century, the spelling of the surname began to stabilize as "Whitted," although variations such as "Whithead" and "Whythed" were still occasionally used. One individual of note during this period was Thomas Whitted, a renowned scholar and clergyman who was born in Worcestershire in 1637. He served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Warwick and was known for his extensive writings on theology and philosophy.
As the centuries passed, members of the Whitted family continued to be found throughout various parts of England, with some eventually migrating to other regions of the British Isles and beyond. Notable figures include William Whitted, a successful merchant and philanthropist born in London in 1782, and Mary Whitted, a pioneering educator and women's rights advocate who was born in Liverpool in 1845.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whitted
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitted, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Whitted 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 Whitted surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American49.2% · 2,058
- White40.9% · 1,710
- Two or more races5.7% · 238
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 135
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whitted
Whitted 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
#7,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,330
+323 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 15 places
2020
#7,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,185
-145 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Up 48 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,656 | 4,007 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,671 | 4,330 | 1.47 | +323 bearers (+8.1%) | Down 15 places |
| 2020 | #7,623 | 4,185 | 1.40 | -145 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 48 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 Whitted 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 | #7,671 | #7,623 | 0.6% |
| Count | 4,330 | 4,185 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.47 | 1.40 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whitted bearers went from 4,330 to 4,185 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 48 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,671 to #7,623.
FAQ
Whitted surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whitted?
Name Census estimates that about 4,799 living Americans carry the surname Whitted. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,422 residents.
How common is Whitted?
Whitted ranks #7,623 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,185 people with the surname Whitted. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,799), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Whitted.
Has Whitted become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whitted went from 4,330 recorded bearers to 4,185. That is a decrease of 145 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,671 to #7,623.
What does the Census say about the background of Whitted?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitted, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Whitted in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.2% (2,058 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whitted appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (49.2%), White (40.9%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Whitted (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 Whitted mean?
Derived from a Middle English nickname meaning "white-haired" or "fair-haired." 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 Whitted (1.40 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 common is the surname Whitted?
See how many people are called Whitted on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.