NameCensus.

UK surname

Whitehead

A descriptive surname referring to someone with very fair or prematurely white hair.

In the 1881 census there were 20,246 people recorded with the Whitehead surname, ranking it #185 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 21,303, ranked #279, down from #185 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Oldham and Blackburn with Darwen.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whitehead is 25,159 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.2%.

1881 census count

20,246

Ranked #185

Modern count

21,303

2016, ranked #279

Peak year

1911

25,159 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whitehead had 20,246 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #185 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 21,303 in 2016, ranked #279.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 25,159 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Whitehead surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whitehead surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whitehead 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 13,234 #180
1861 historical 14,311 #170
1881 historical 20,246 #185
1891 historical 21,458 #181
1901 historical 24,410 #188
1911 historical 25,159 #171
1997 modern 22,278 #253
1998 modern 22,863 #257
1999 modern 22,973 #260
2000 modern 22,706 #262
2001 modern 22,270 #261
2002 modern 22,704 #261
2003 modern 21,979 #264
2004 modern 21,864 #264
2005 modern 21,564 #264
2006 modern 21,494 #266
2007 modern 21,476 #268
2008 modern 21,496 #271
2009 modern 21,886 #275
2010 modern 22,282 #275
2011 modern 21,872 #275
2012 modern 21,170 #276
2013 modern 21,668 #277
2014 modern 21,791 #278
2015 modern 21,475 #278
2016 modern 21,303 #279

Geography

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Where Whiteheads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Oldham and Blackburn with Darwen. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Rochdale Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 001 Bolsover
2 Oldham 006 Oldham
3 Blackburn with Darwen 018 Blackburn with Darwen
4 Oldham 001 Oldham
5 Oldham 004 Oldham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whitehead

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whitehead

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Whitehead, 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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Whitehead is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Whitehead is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whitehead falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Whitehead 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 Whitehead, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Whitehead

The surname Whitehead is an English surname derived from the Middle English words "white" and "head," referring to someone with light-colored hair or a pale complexion. It originated in the 13th century and was initially used as a nickname or descriptive name before becoming a hereditary surname.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Whitehead can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, England, dating back to 1273, where it is listed as "Whythed." Over time, various spelling variations emerged, such as Whythed, Whithede, and Whytehede, before settling on the modern form of Whitehead.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their properties commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the surname Whitehead. However, some entries mention individuals with the first name "Whit" or "White," which may have been precursors to the later development of the Whitehead surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Whitehead throughout history include:

1. George Whitehead (1636-1723), an English Quaker leader and influential writer during the 17th century. 2. Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947), an English mathematician and philosopher who co-authored the influential work "Principia Mathematica" with Bertrand Russell. 3. Jesse Whitehead (1719-1785), an American Revolutionary War soldier and frontiersman from Virginia. 4. William Whitehead (1715-1785), an English poet and playwright who served as the Poet Laureate of Great Britain from 1757 until his death. 5. John Whitehead (1924-1988), an English actor and comedian best known for his roles in the Carry On film series and television shows like "Steptoe and Son."

The surname Whitehead has been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Whitehead in Lancashire, which was recorded as "Quitheved" in the 13th century, and Whitehead in Yorkshire, which appeared as "Whiteheved" in the 14th century. These place names likely contributed to the further establishment and spread of the Whitehead surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Whitehead families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whitehead 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. Lancashire leads with 7,269 Whiteheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.10x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 7,269 3.10x
Yorkshire 4,502 2.30x
Middlesex 1,099 0.56x
Kent 1,015 1.51x
Cheshire 778 1.78x
Warwickshire 629 1.26x
Surrey 590 0.61x
Nottinghamshire 425 1.60x
Derbyshire 323 1.04x
Staffordshire 256 0.38x
Durham 245 0.42x
Lincolnshire 197 0.62x
Northamptonshire 181 0.97x
Leicestershire 176 0.80x
Cambridgeshire 173 1.38x
Westmorland 173 3.99x
Essex 154 0.40x
Northumberland 149 0.51x
Buckinghamshire 143 1.20x
Somerset 122 0.38x
Midlothian 110 0.42x
Norfolk 102 0.34x
Gloucestershire 98 0.25x
Lanarkshire 89 0.14x
Cumberland 82 0.48x
Fife 82 0.70x
Sussex 79 0.24x
Hampshire 78 0.19x
Worcestershire 72 0.28x
Berwickshire 67 2.80x
Hertfordshire 63 0.46x
Oxfordshire 62 0.51x
Shropshire 61 0.36x
Suffolk 57 0.24x
Berkshire 52 0.35x
East Lothian 45 1.72x
Perthshire 45 0.51x
Huntingdonshire 41 1.05x
Bedfordshire 38 0.37x
Glamorgan 36 0.10x
Renfrewshire 33 0.22x
Stirlingshire 33 0.45x
Clackmannanshire 28 1.72x
Devon 28 0.07x
Flintshire 19 0.36x
Roxburghshire 18 0.50x
Selkirkshire 16 0.90x
Denbighshire 13 0.17x
Wiltshire 13 0.07x
Angus 12 0.07x
Caernarfonshire 11 0.14x
Royal Navy 10 0.43x
West Lothian 7 0.24x
Channel Islands 6 0.10x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.02x
Cornwall 3 0.01x
Dorset 3 0.02x
Herefordshire 3 0.04x
Inverness-shire 3 0.05x
Peeblesshire 3 0.32x
Rutland 3 0.21x
Ayrshire 2 0.01x
Isle of Man 2 0.05x
Monmouthshire 2 0.01x
Buteshire 1 0.08x
Cardiganshire 1 0.02x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.01x
Merionethshire 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 1,098 Whiteheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.52x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 1,098 14.52x
Ashton Under Lyne 480 9.37x
Saddleworth 393 26.04x
Leeds 259 2.34x
Castleton 243 10.39x
Manchester 225 2.14x
Crompton 208 31.17x
Chadderton 194 16.94x
Butterworth 167 29.25x
Bury 159 5.94x
Failsworth 158 29.48x
Preston 147 2.35x
Birmingham 141 0.85x
Dukinfield 140 6.95x
Wardleworth 138 10.31x
Habergham Eaves 130 6.07x
Salford 128 1.86x
Aston 125 0.91x
Bradford 123 2.60x
Pendleton In Salford 121 4.33x
Nottingham St Mary 116 1.69x
Blackburn 114 1.83x
West Derby 113 1.65x
Spotland 109 4.18x
Liverpool 106 0.74x
Hulme 97 1.98x
Bethnal Green London 93 1.08x
Horton In Bradford 93 3.04x
Newton 92 5.09x
Camberwell 89 0.71x
Wortley In Bramley 89 5.74x
Burnley 88 4.46x
Marsden In Almondbury 88 49.43x
Islington London 85 0.44x
Chorlton On Medlock 82 2.20x
Halifax 82 2.85x
Hyde 82 6.38x
Lambeth 82 0.48x
Battersea 80 1.10x
Mirfield 79 7.35x
North Meols 78 3.40x
Ecclesall Bierlow 77 1.93x
Toxteth Park 76 0.96x
Everton 72 0.96x
Hunslet 72 2.36x
Broughton In Salford 71 3.31x
Worsley 71 4.92x
Bromley 70 6.82x
Blackley 69 16.80x
Newchurch 68 3.55x
Holbeck 67 5.17x
Denton 66 12.71x
Sheffield 65 1.04x
Huddersfield 64 2.25x
Manningham 64 2.66x
Wuerdle Wardle 64 9.00x
Shoreditch London 61 0.71x
Skircoat 61 7.91x
Brightside Bierlow 60 1.56x
St Pancras London 60 0.38x
Keighley 59 2.83x
Radcliffe 59 5.22x
Accrington 58 2.72x
Mile End Old Town 58 1.86x
Ilkeston 56 6.46x
Little Bolton 56 1.86x
Stockport 56 2.50x
Holy Trinity 55 1.17x
Chelsea London 54 0.91x
Droylsden 53 6.93x
Leicester St Margaret 53 0.99x
St Andrewthe Less 52 3.64x
Over Darwen 51 2.73x
Royton 51 7.12x
Wakefield 50 3.33x
Bradford 49 4.47x
Kirkdale 49 1.24x
St Marylebone London 49 0.46x
Bowling 48 2.48x
Lockwood 48 6.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,434
Sarah 882
Elizabeth 786
Ann 412
Jane 378
Alice 371
Hannah 326
Emma 295
Ellen 283
Annie 272
Eliza 269
Martha 256
Emily 194
Margaret 194
Maria 125
Harriet 123
Clara 115
Edith 109
Fanny 105
Charlotte 101
Ada 97
Florence 97
Louisa 86
Lucy 82
Betty 75
Frances 74
Caroline 69
Esther 68
Kate 62
Agnes 61
Catherine 59
Anne 57
Isabella 55
Amelia 54
Harriett 51
Susan 46
Amy 45
Bertha 43
Susannah 43
Eleanor 42
Elizth. 41
Betsy 39
Rebecca 39
Ruth 38
Sophia 37
Grace 36
Nancy 36
Rose 34
Selina 34
Minnie 33

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1,280
William 1,034
James 790
Thomas 677
George 521
Joseph 446
Henry 330
Robert 259
Charles 245
Samuel 204
Edward 187
Arthur 179
Richard 176
Alfred 160
Harry 146
Albert 137
Walter 120
Frederick 118
Herbert 103
Frank 91
David 70
Fred 69
Benjamin 65
Ernest 64
Edwin 58
Thos. 50
Tom 48
Wm. 46
Mark 44
Abraham 37
Peter 35
Edmund 33
Francis 32
Daniel 29
Ralph 28
Isaac 27
Jas. 26
Jonathan 24
Sam 24
Chas. 22
Geo. 21
Andrew 20
Fredk. 20
Joe 20
Christopher 19
Joshua 18
Saml. 18
Stephen 18
Levi 17
Harold 16

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 Whitehead households.

FAQ

Whitehead surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whitehead surname in 1881?

In 1881, 20,246 people were recorded with the Whitehead surname. That placed it at #185 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whitehead surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 21,303 in 2016. That gives Whitehead a modern rank of #279.

What does the Whitehead surname mean?

A descriptive surname referring to someone with very fair or prematurely white hair.

What does the Whitehead map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Whitehead 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.