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

Whittemore, 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 Whittemore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whittemore in America

Whittemore is the 6463rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whittemore surname appeared 5,256 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Whittemore.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whittemore 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 Whittemore

The surname Whittemore is an English locational name derived from a place in Cambridgeshire, England. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "hwit" meaning white, and "mor" meaning moor or marsh, referring to someone who lived near a white moor or marshy area.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Whittemore can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Whittesmere." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the surname was commonly spelled as "Whittemore" or "Whyttemore," reflecting the evolving spelling patterns of the time. In the 14th century, records show variations like "Wyhtmere" and "Whitemere."

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Whittemore, a member of Parliament for Wiltshire in the late 14th century. Another was Thomas Whittemore, a prominent merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various records, including the parish registers of several English counties. John Whittemore (born 1518) was a prominent figure in the English Reformation, serving as a chaplain to King Edward VI.

The 17th century saw the Whittemore family's presence expand across England, with members residing in counties like Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Yorkshire. One notable figure was Sir Thomas Whittemore (1610-1678), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Wiltshire.

In the 18th century, the surname Whittemore was well-established in the American colonies, with several immigrants bearing the name arriving from England. Benjamin Whittemore (1719-1799) was a prominent merchant and patriot in New Hampshire during the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout the 19th century, the Whittemore surname continued to be found across England and the United States. Notable individuals included Charles Whittemore (1801-1876), a successful industrialist and inventor from Massachusetts, and William Whittemore (1820-1892), a Union Army general during the American Civil War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whittemore

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

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

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

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