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

Whitworth, 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 Whitworth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whitworth in America

Whitworth is the 3647th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whitworth surname appeared 9,748 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 Whitworth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whitworth 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 Whitworth

The surname Whitworth is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hwit" meaning "white" and "worth" meaning "enclosure" or "homestead". It likely originated as a descriptive name referring to someone who lived near a white farm or homestead.

The name first appeared in records from the 12th century, with early spellings including Whiteworth, Wyteworth, and Whyteworth. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a Robert de Whiteword.

Whitworth is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book records a place called "Whiteworde" in Lancashire, which may have been the origin of some bearers of the Whitworth name.

In the 13th century, the name was associated with several locations in Lancashire and Cheshire, including Whitworth in Rossendale and Whitworth near Rochdale. These place names likely contributed to the spread of the surname in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Whitworth throughout history include:

1. Sir Joseph Whitworth (1803-1887), a pioneering English engineer and inventor known for his contributions to precision tool-making and standardization of screw threads.

2. William Wolstenholme Whitworth (1804-1862), an English landowner and philanthropist who donated land and funds for the establishment of Whitworth Park in Manchester.

3. Charles Whitworth (1675-1725), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Minehead from 1708 to 1725.

4. Robert Whitworth (1714-1786), an English mathematician and Anglican clergyman who made notable contributions to the study of conic sections.

5. Charles Whitworth, 1st Baron Whitworth (1752-1825), a British diplomat and courtier who served as Ambassador to France during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

While the Whitworth name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and settlement, particularly to countries with historical British connections.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whitworth

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

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

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

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