NameCensus.

UK surname

Whitaker

An occupational surname referring to a white tanner or dresser of light-colored leather.

In the 1881 census there were 8,462 people recorded with the Whitaker surname, ranking it #502 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,774, ranked #846, down from #502 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Bradford and Keighley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Craven and Pendle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whitaker is 10,207 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.1%.

1881 census count

8,462

Ranked #502

Modern count

7,774

2016, ranked #846

Peak year

1911

10,207 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whitaker had 8,462 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #502 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,774 in 2016, ranked #846.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,207 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Whitaker surname distribution map

The map shows where the Whitaker surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Whitaker surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Whitaker over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 7,637 #363
1861 historical 7,610 #368
1881 historical 8,462 #502
1891 historical 8,877 #497
1901 historical 9,092 #578
1911 historical 10,207 #484
1997 modern 7,794 #833
1998 modern 8,094 #829
1999 modern 8,213 #824
2000 modern 8,093 #828
2001 modern 7,874 #833
2002 modern 7,980 #844
2003 modern 7,745 #844
2004 modern 7,714 #846
2005 modern 7,672 #836
2006 modern 7,609 #845
2007 modern 7,701 #842
2008 modern 7,696 #851
2009 modern 7,890 #848
2010 modern 8,086 #845
2011 modern 7,990 #842
2012 modern 7,864 #836
2013 modern 8,044 #828
2014 modern 8,021 #836
2015 modern 7,868 #843
2016 modern 7,774 #846

Geography

Back to top

Where Whitakers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Bradford, Keighley, Whalley and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Craven and Pendle. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Whalley Lancashire
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 004 Bradford
2 Craven 008 Craven
3 Pendle 006 Pendle
4 Pendle 005 Pendle
5 Bradford 002 Bradford

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Whitaker

These lists show first names that appear often with the Whitaker surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Whitaker

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Whitaker, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Whitaker surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Whitaker household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Whitaker is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Whitaker is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whitaker falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Whitaker is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Whitaker, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Whitaker

The surname Whitaker originated in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hwit" meaning white and "acre" referring to a cultivated field or plot of land. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or worked on a white field or area of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Whitaker appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, where it is spelled "Whiteacre." This document lists landowners and taxpayers in the region. Over time, the spelling evolved to Whitaker, reflecting the way it was pronounced.

The Whitaker name can also be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Here, the name is recorded as "Whittacre" and "Whiteacre," indicating that it was already in use before the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, there are records of a John Whitaker living in Lancashire, England. Another notable early bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Whitaker (1492-1537), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1531.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Whitaker family established themselves as prominent landowners and merchants in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. One notable member of the family was Jeremiah Whitaker (1599-1654), a renowned Anglican clergyman and theologian who served as the Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge.

Another notable figure was the poet and dramatist Thomas Whitaker (1759-1821), who was born in Holme, Lancashire. He is best known for his work "The History and Antiquities of the Deanery of Craven," which documented the history and architecture of the region.

In the 19th century, John Whitaker (1776-1835) was a prominent English historian and antiquarian who published several works, including "The History of Whalley" and "The Life and Original Correspondence of Sir George Radcliffe."

The Whitaker name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Whitacre in Warwickshire, Whittakers in Lancashire, and Whiteacre in Yorkshire, further reinforcing its connection to the Old English roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Whitaker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whitaker surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 4,712 Whitakers recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.76x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 4,712 5.76x
Lancashire 1,663 1.70x
Middlesex 421 0.51x
Surrey 180 0.45x
Nottinghamshire 152 1.37x
Cheshire 119 0.65x
Derbyshire 101 0.78x
Kent 87 0.31x
Staffordshire 87 0.31x
Norfolk 75 0.59x
Essex 73 0.45x
Somerset 73 0.55x
Durham 71 0.29x
Gloucestershire 65 0.40x
Lincolnshire 59 0.45x
Warwickshire 58 0.28x
Suffolk 35 0.35x
Sussex 34 0.24x
Hertfordshire 33 0.58x
Devon 32 0.19x
Leicestershire 32 0.35x
Shropshire 23 0.32x
Herefordshire 22 0.65x
Hampshire 20 0.12x
Buckinghamshire 19 0.38x
Oxfordshire 19 0.37x
Cambridgeshire 18 0.34x
Worcestershire 18 0.17x
Westmorland 17 0.94x
Wiltshire 16 0.22x
Monmouthshire 14 0.23x
Bedfordshire 13 0.30x
Berkshire 12 0.19x
Glamorgan 12 0.08x
Cornwall 10 0.11x
Huntingdonshire 9 0.55x
Montgomeryshire 7 0.37x
Denbighshire 6 0.19x
Flintshire 6 0.27x
Isle of Man 6 0.39x
Northumberland 6 0.05x
Northamptonshire 5 0.06x
Cumberland 4 0.06x
Dorset 4 0.07x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.09x
Angus 2 0.03x
Anglesey 1 0.07x
Brecknockshire 1 0.06x
Fife 1 0.02x
Lanarkshire 1 0.00x
Midlothian 1 0.01x
Rutland 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 415 Whitakers recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.99x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 415 8.99x
Keighley 219 25.12x
Habergham Eaves 205 22.90x
Bradford 195 9.85x
Burnley 181 21.95x
Bingley 180 34.56x
Haworth 180 92.60x
Horton In Bradford 146 11.43x
Manningham 138 13.70x
Halifax 132 10.99x
Shipley 114 26.86x
Wortley In Bramley 104 16.06x
Great Little Marsden 88 19.62x
Baildon 86 55.85x
Spotland 76 6.98x
Horsforth 74 41.27x
Hunslet 73 5.72x
Armley 72 19.96x
Haslingden 72 17.76x
Otley 72 36.26x
Colne 71 24.34x
Idle 71 18.72x
Sowerby In Halifax 65 24.31x
Northowram 63 10.99x
Thornton In Bradford 63 23.14x
Trawden 62 101.19x
Ecclesall Bierlow 58 3.49x
Holbeck 58 10.71x
Addingham 56 91.65x
Cowling 51 96.19x
St Pancras London 51 0.77x
Headingley Cum Burley 50 9.50x
Wakefield 49 7.80x
Padiham 45 19.02x
Batley 44 5.66x
Lambeth 44 0.61x
Bowling 43 5.31x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 42 14.38x
Heaton Norris 41 7.36x
Barnoldswick 39 34.16x
Calverley Cum Farsley 39 16.80x
Camberwell 39 0.74x
Hackney London 38 0.82x
Hipperholme Cum 38 10.58x
Skircoat 38 11.78x
Glusburn 37 80.10x
Oldham 36 1.14x
Skipton 36 13.99x
Southowram 36 14.42x
Liversedge 35 9.61x
Burley In Wharfdale 33 45.71x
Huddersfield 33 2.77x
Islington London 33 0.41x
Soothill 32 10.83x
Newchurch 30 3.74x
Whalley 30 21.02x
Castleton 29 2.97x
Wuerdle Wardle 29 9.76x
Bulwell 28 11.58x
Guiseley 27 25.78x
Huncoat 27 102.78x
Shoreditch London 27 0.75x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 27 7.11x
Aston 26 0.45x
Pudsey 26 5.95x
Sheffield 25 0.96x
Everton 24 0.77x
Worksop 24 7.28x
Embsay Cum Eastby 23 69.59x
Nottingham St Mary 23 0.80x
Cliviger 22 39.90x
Dewsbury 22 2.62x
Newington 22 0.72x
Ovenden 21 5.77x
Accrington 20 2.25x
Awkley 20 255.43x
Bramley In Bramley 20 6.39x
Mile End Old Town 20 1.54x
Sculcoates 20 1.54x
Todmorden Walsden 20 7.62x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Whitaker surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 633
Sarah 384
Elizabeth 284
Ann 204
Jane 173
Martha 170
Hannah 147
Alice 142
Emma 130
Annie 128
Ellen 128
Margaret 98
Eliza 89
Emily 88
Ada 60
Clara 51
Louisa 46
Harriet 44
Florence 42
Maria 42
Edith 39
Charlotte 36
Fanny 36
Susannah 33
Lucy 32
Rebecca 28
Frances 27
Grace 26
Isabella 26
Agnes 25
Amelia 25
Eleanor 25
Ruth 24
Caroline 23
Catherine 23
Esther 23
Susan 23
Harriett 20
Betty 19
Amy 18
Anne 18
Elizth. 18
Kate 18
Nancy 15
Rose 15
Minnie 14
Sophia 14
Ethel 12
Rachel 12
Selina 12

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Whitaker surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 495
William 438
James 311
Thomas 237
George 213
Joseph 183
Henry 130
Charles 118
Robert 93
Arthur 90
Samuel 84
Richard 76
Alfred 75
Harry 64
Walter 61
Fred 59
Albert 51
Edward 51
Frederick 48
Herbert 48
Wm. 38
Benjamin 34
Frank 33
Thos. 33
Edwin 29
Geo. 24
David 22
Tom 22
Francis 18
Jonathan 17
Ernest 15
Stephen 15
Edmund 14
Sam 14
Abraham 13
Percy 13
Jno. 12
Joshua 12
Saml. 12
Willie 12
Harold 11
Isaac 11
Daniel 10
Nicholas 10
Watson 10
Elijah 9
Leonard 9
Chas. 8
Matthew 8
Miles 8

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Whitaker households.

FAQ

Whitaker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whitaker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8,462 people were recorded with the Whitaker surname. That placed it at #502 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whitaker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,774 in 2016. That gives Whitaker a modern rank of #846.

What does the Whitaker surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a white tanner or dresser of light-colored leather.

What does the Whitaker map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Whitaker bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.