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

Whittles, 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 Whittles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whittles in America

Whittles is the 92719th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whittles surname appeared 198 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Whittles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whittles 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 Whittles

The surname Whittles has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is primarily associated with the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire in Northern England. The name is believed to derive from the Old English word hwit, meaning "white," and hyll, meaning "hill." This indicates that the initial bearers of the surname were likely from a place characterized by a white or light-colored hill.

The earliest documented instance of the surname Whittles appears in the 13th century. Historical records from 1273 include mention of a Robert de Whittel in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire. This suggests the name was established by the late 13th century and hints at its geographic spread beyond its original area.

In medieval England, surnames often developed from geographical locations or landscapes. The villages of Whittle-le-Woods and Whittle-in-the-Woods in Lancashire are examples of place names that likely influenced the surname. The Domesday Book of 1086 does not contain the surname Whittles, but it mentions places like Chetel and Hwital, which are etymologically related.

One notable individual with the surname is John Whittles, born in 1550, who served as a clerk in the courts of York. Another prominent figure is Reverend Thomas Whittles, born in 1617 in Lancashire, who played a significant role in the early educational reforms in his community. Samuel Whittles, born in 1715, was a landowner whose estate management practices were well-documented and contributed to agricultural development in Lancashire.

In the 19th century, a significant figure is William Whittles, born in 1832, an industrialist who contributed to the burgeoning textile industry in Manchester. His advancements in textile machinery had a lasting impact on the industry. Another is Elizabeth Whittles, born in 1858, who was a noted suffragette actively involved in the women's rights movement in England during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Overall, the surname Whittles has a rich history, deeply rooted in the geographical and social fabric of medieval and early modern England, with significant bearers contributing to various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whittles

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

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

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

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