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

Whyte, 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 Whyte surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Whyte in America

Whyte is the 4609th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Whyte surname appeared 7,701 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 Whyte.

We can also compare 2010 data for Whyte 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 Whyte

The surname Whyte originated in Scotland, deriving from the Gaelic word "geal" which means white or fair-complexioned. This name was commonly used as a descriptive nickname for someone with pale features or blond hair. The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the late 12th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William le Whyte, who was mentioned in the records of Berwickshire in 1296. The name also appeared in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of homage rolls documenting those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his invasion of Scotland.

In the 14th century, the surname Whyte was well-established in various regions of Scotland, including Aberdeenshire, Angus, and Fife. The name was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Borders region, where it was often associated with landowning families.

The Whyte surname can be traced back to several notable historical figures. One such figure was Sir Andrew Whyte, who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh in the late 15th century. Another prominent bearer of the name was Robert Whyte, a Scottish philosopher and theologian who lived in the 16th century.

During the 17th century, the Whyte family played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. John Whyte, a minister from Kinross, was a prominent figure in the Presbyterian Church and a supporter of the National Covenant in 1638.

Moving into the 18th century, the Whyte surname gained recognition in the literary world. Robert Whyte, a Scottish poet born in 1714, was known for his satirical works and his contributions to the Scottish Enlightenment.

In the 19th century, the Whyte family expanded their influence in various fields. James Whyte, born in 1835, was a Scottish architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Throughout its history, the Whyte surname has been associated with various place names and locations in Scotland. Examples include Whytefield, Whytehall, and Whytehouse, which were derived from the surname and reflected the presence of Whyte families in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Whyte

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

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

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

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