NameCensus.

UK surname

Whitt

Derived from a place name meaning "white" or from a nickname for someone with white hair or a pale complexion.

In the 1881 census there were 199 people recorded with the Whitt surname, ranking it #12,880 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 238, ranked #17,361, down from #12,880 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and St Werburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bournemouth, Rushcliffe and Gedling.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whitt is 310 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.6%.

1881 census count

199

Ranked #12,880

Modern count

238

2016, ranked #17,361

Peak year

1891

310 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whitt had 199 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,880 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016, ranked #17,361.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 310 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Whitt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whitt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whitt 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 117 #15,456
1861 historical 266 #9,318
1881 historical 199 #12,880
1891 historical 310 #10,812
1901 historical 218 #14,332
1911 historical 254 #12,748
1997 modern 223 #16,448
1998 modern 227 #16,754
1999 modern 234 #16,506
2000 modern 236 #16,380
2001 modern 233 #16,260
2002 modern 247 #15,941
2003 modern 244 #15,861
2004 modern 240 #16,144
2005 modern 240 #16,092
2006 modern 234 #16,493
2007 modern 235 #16,668
2008 modern 239 #16,583
2009 modern 231 #17,331
2010 modern 238 #17,323
2011 modern 233 #17,426
2012 modern 227 #17,630
2013 modern 240 #17,251
2014 modern 243 #17,232
2015 modern 239 #17,322
2016 modern 238 #17,361

Geography

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Where Whitts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Werburgh, Gedling and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bournemouth, Rushcliffe, Gedling and Mansfield. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 St Werburgh Derbyshire
4 Gedling Nottinghamshire
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bournemouth 009 Bournemouth
2 Rushcliffe 001 Rushcliffe
3 Gedling 012 Gedling
4 Gedling 007 Gedling
5 Mansfield 010 Mansfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whitt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whitt

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Whitt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Whitt household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Whitt is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Whitt 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

Whitt falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Whitt is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Whitt

The surname Whitt is an English name that originated in the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "hwit," meaning "white," which was likely an occupational surname given to someone who worked with white materials, such as a miller or bleacher.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with records showing variations such as Whyte and Whytte appearing in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Shropshire, and Gloucestershire. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Aleyn Whyt, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

In the late 14th century, the Whitt surname appeared in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire, indicating its presence in the region during that time. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Whitt name, but it does mention several locations with similar-sounding names, such as Whitby and Whitwell.

One notable person with the Whitt surname was William Whitt (c. 1610-1684), an English Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Wickham Market in Suffolk. Another individual of historical significance was John Whitt (1677-1743), a prominent Anglican clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Worcester and Rector of Wootton Wawen in Warwickshire.

In the 16th century, the Whitt surname was found in various locations across England, including Staffordshire, where a record from 1532 mentions a John Whytt. In the 17th century, the name appeared in Gloucestershire, with a baptismal record from 1658 showing a Thomas Whitt.

Other notable individuals with the Whitt surname include James Whitt (1760-1833), an English poet and writer from Gloucestershire, and Thomas Whitt (1805-1877), a British engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to steam engines and agricultural machinery.

While the Whitt surname is predominantly English in origin, it has also been found in other parts of the British Isles and beyond, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it emerged as an occupational name related to the color white.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Whitt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whitt 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 120 Whitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.33x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 120 46.33x
Yorkshire 13 0.68x
Middlesex 12 0.62x
Kent 10 1.53x
Surrey 8 0.85x
Leicestershire 7 3.29x
Wiltshire 7 4.12x
Glamorgan 6 1.79x
Lancashire 4 0.18x
Derbyshire 3 1.00x
Berkshire 1 0.69x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.86x
Essex 1 0.26x
Hampshire 1 0.25x
Norfolk 1 0.34x
Perthshire 1 1.16x
Sussex 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 26 Whitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.81x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 26 38.81x
Radford 25 189.97x
Carlton 21 709.46x
Arnold 19 502.65x
Snenton 16 157.17x
Beckenham 10 116.69x
Battersea 8 11.31x
Leicester St Margaret 7 13.47x
Ecclesfield 6 42.98x
Roath 6 39.47x
Shoreditch London 6 7.20x
Beeston 4 134.23x
Hipperholme Cum 4 47.79x
Mile End Old Town 4 13.19x
Newstead 4 625.00x
Nunton With Bodenham 4 2105.26x
Oldham 4 5.43x
Ilkeston 3 35.59x
Tollard Royal 3 1666.67x
Islington London 2 1.07x
Kirkby In Ashfield 2 72.20x
Leeds 2 1.86x
Lowdham 2 408.16x
Brighton 1 1.53x
Eton 1 38.02x
Kenmore 1 97.09x
Kingston 1 181.82x
Lenton 1 16.39x
Middlesbrough 1 4.03x
Shenfield 1 102.04x
West Swallowfield 1 147.06x
Wymondham 1 33.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Emma 10
Sarah 10
Elizabeth 9
Ann 5
Alice 3
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Fanny 3
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Ethel 2
Mabel 2
Maria 2
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Christiana 1
Doratha 1
Emily 1
Flora 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Harriott 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Maryann 1
Myra 1
Pamle 1
Phobey 1
Rachel 1
Ruth 1
Susan 1
Therce 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
George 10
John 8
Charles 7
Edward 6
Arthur 5
Frederick 5
James 5
Joseph 5
Frank 4
Thomas 4
David 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Samuel 2
Brierley 1
Charley 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fras. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Frerick 1
Herbert 1
Philip 1
Phillip 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Whitt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whitt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 199 people were recorded with the Whitt surname. That placed it at #12,880 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whitt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016. That gives Whitt a modern rank of #17,361.

What does the Whitt surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "white" or from a nickname for someone with white hair or a pale complexion.

What does the Whitt map show?

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