NameCensus.

UK surname

Whittam

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "white homestead" or "white dwelling."

In the 1881 census there were 1,099 people recorded with the Whittam surname, ranking it #3,615 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 907, ranked #6,265, down from #3,615 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bury and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Hyndburn and Dartford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whittam is 1,250 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 17.5%.

1881 census count

1,099

Ranked #3,615

Modern count

907

2016, ranked #6,265

Peak year

1911

1,250 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whittam had 1,099 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,615 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 907 in 2016, ranked #6,265.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,250 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Whittam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whittam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whittam 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 635 #4,088
1861 historical 619 #4,312
1881 historical 1,099 #3,615
1891 historical 1,053 #3,981
1901 historical 1,139 #4,262
1911 historical 1,250 #3,798
1997 modern 989 #5,555
1998 modern 1,021 #5,588
1999 modern 1,034 #5,562
2000 modern 1,003 #5,672
2001 modern 980 #5,666
2002 modern 969 #5,830
2003 modern 950 #5,833
2004 modern 948 #5,850
2005 modern 930 #5,880
2006 modern 907 #6,010
2007 modern 915 #6,015
2008 modern 918 #6,047
2009 modern 939 #6,051
2010 modern 964 #6,052
2011 modern 967 #5,978
2012 modern 946 #6,002
2013 modern 952 #6,070
2014 modern 946 #6,148
2015 modern 915 #6,252
2016 modern 907 #6,265

Geography

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Where Whittams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bury, Preston, Bradford and Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Hyndburn, Dartford 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bury Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 004 Copeland
2 Hyndburn 002 Hyndburn
3 Dartford 004 Dartford
4 Hyndburn 001 Hyndburn
5 Pendle 004 Pendle

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whittam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whittam

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Whittam, 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 Whittam surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Whittam 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Whittam is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Whittam is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whittam falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Whittam

The surname Whittam is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to medieval England. It is a locational surname, likely derived from a place name in Lancashire or Yorkshire, areas known for their early settlements and agricultural developments during medieval times.

The name Whittam is believed to have originated from the Old English words "hwit" meaning white, and "ham" meaning homestead or settlement. It could have referred to a settlement that was characterized by its appearance or perhaps by the presence of white buildings or a particular land feature.

Early records of the surname Whittam appear in various historical documents. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1246, where a Richard de Whittam is mentioned. This indicates that the name was established and recognized during the 13th century.

A notable historical reference to the surname Whittam can be found in the area of Whittingham in Lancashire, which shares phonetic similarities and could have contributed to the evolution of the surname. This link between the place name and the surname strengthens the idea of its locational origins.

Among the early recorded examples, John Whittam, born in 1460, is noted in historical records from Lancashire. Another individual, Thomas Whittam, born in 1530, is documented in parish records in Yorkshire, indicating the spread and establishment of the name across northern England.

In the 18th century, Jonathan Whittam, born in 1734, became a known figure as a local landowner in Lancashire, contributing to the local community's development. His records reflect the continuity and historical presence of the surname in the region.

By the 19th century, the surname Whittam appeared in various professional contexts. William Whittam, a notable industrialist born in 1823, played a significant role in the industrial revolution in Lancashire, known for his contributions to local manufacturing industries.

Another prominent figure was Charles Whittam, born in 1855, who became a recognized scholar and author, contributing to the academic literature of the time. His works often explored local history and provided insights into the regional ancestry, including the origins of surnames like his own.

These examples across centuries highlight the enduring presence and evolving significance of the surname Whittam in English history. The name has been intrinsically linked to particular regions in northern England, reflecting both its geographical and cultural heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Whittam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whittam 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 723 Whittams recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.68x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 723 5.68x
Yorkshire 216 2.03x
Westmorland 44 18.67x
Cheshire 26 1.10x
Hertfordshire 11 1.49x
Middlesex 11 0.10x
Hampshire 9 0.41x
Northamptonshire 9 0.89x
Norfolk 8 0.49x
Surrey 8 0.15x
Kent 6 0.16x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.42x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.74x
Durham 4 0.13x
Warwickshire 4 0.15x
Shropshire 3 0.32x
Lincolnshire 2 0.12x
Cumberland 1 0.11x
Essex 1 0.05x
Flintshire 1 0.35x
Worcestershire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bury in Lancashire leads with 56 Whittams recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.54x.

Place Total Index
Bury 56 38.54x
Burnley 54 50.41x
Habergham Eaves 52 44.72x
Worsthorne Cum 49 1212.87x
Preston 43 12.63x
Colne 31 81.79x
Padiham 31 100.88x
Ambleside 22 301.37x
Skipton 22 65.81x
Clitheroe 21 56.09x
Bradford 20 7.78x
Farnworth 20 26.24x
Accrington 19 16.43x
Great Little Marsden 17 29.17x
Newchurch 16 15.37x
Spotland 16 11.31x
Great Harwood 15 65.25x
Dalton In Furness 14 28.51x
Blackburn 13 3.84x
Pendleton In Salford 13 8.58x
Sutton Stoneferry 13 42.76x
Lancaster 12 15.85x
Manchester 12 2.10x
Calverley Cum Farsley 11 36.47x
St Albans 11 72.66x
Tottington Higher End 11 75.97x
Heap 10 14.82x
Hugill 10 694.44x
Salford 10 2.67x
West Derby 10 2.69x
Horton In Bradford 9 5.43x
Romiley 9 134.73x
St Mary Extra 9 50.91x
Barrow In Furness 8 4.62x
Church 8 44.54x
Denby 8 139.62x
Ightenhill Park 8 1066.67x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 7 18.14x
Barnsley 7 6.39x
Barton Upon Irwell 7 7.31x
Bermondsey 7 2.19x
Brightside Bierlow 7 3.36x
Goole 7 39.33x
Headingley Cum Burley 7 10.24x
Hindley 7 12.91x
Hulme 7 2.64x
Islington London 7 0.67x
Lower Booths 7 30.72x
Pudsey 7 12.33x
Reepham With Kerdiston 7 360.82x
Toxteth Park 7 1.63x
Blatchinworth 6 20.72x
Carlton 6 36.39x
Chadderton 6 9.65x
Ecclesall Bierlow 6 2.78x
Embsay Cum Eastby 6 139.86x
Greenwich 6 3.52x
Leeds 6 1.00x
Nether Hallam 6 4.17x
Standground 6 124.22x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 1.80x
Dukinfield 5 4.57x
Fulwood 5 36.36x
Higher Booths 5 21.81x
Hopwood 5 30.07x
Ingleton 5 83.61x
Keighley 5 4.42x
Macclesfield 5 4.75x
Manningham 5 3.82x
North Meols 5 4.02x
Northowram 5 6.71x
Over Staveley 5 186.57x
Satterthwaite 5 301.20x
Thorney 5 66.31x
Walden Stubbs 5 925.93x
Barmston 4 167.36x
Higham With West Close 4 144.93x
Little Bolton 4 2.45x
Sharples 4 28.99x
Whalley 4 21.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 93
Elizabeth 48
Sarah 44
Alice 29
Ann 26
Ellen 23
Margaret 21
Jane 19
Eliza 15
Annie 13
Martha 13
Hannah 12
Isabella 8
Agnes 7
Catherine 7
Emma 7
Harriet 7
Susannah 7
Ada 6
Betty 6
Lucy 6
Susan 6
Amelia 5
Edith 5
Esther 5
Florence 4
Maud 4
Betsy 3
Clara 3
Elizth. 3
Lizzie 3
Maria 3
Nancy 3
Nanny 3
Ruth 3
Anne 2
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Eleanor 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Louisa 2
Margt. 2
Matilda 2
May 2
Rachel 2
Rebecca 2
Teresa 2
Winifred 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 94
James 54
William 53
Thomas 45
Robert 23
George 21
Joseph 20
Richard 20
Charles 12
Benjamin 10
Henry 10
Arthur 9
Samuel 8
Edward 7
Matthew 7
Alfred 6
Frederick 5
Harry 5
Isaac 5
David 4
Fred 4
Seth 4
Thos. 4
Tom 4
Albert 3
Edmund 3
Herbert 3
Lawrence 3
Sam 3
Walter 3
Chas. 2
Christopher 2
Daniel 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Jas. 2
Leonard 2
Luke 2
Mathew 2
Moses 2
Sager 2
Smith 2
Stephen 2
Willm. 2
Archibald 1
Emanuel 1
Emmanuel 1
Enoch 1
Feildhouse 1
Fergus 1

FAQ

Whittam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whittam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,099 people were recorded with the Whittam surname. That placed it at #3,615 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whittam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 907 in 2016. That gives Whittam a modern rank of #6,265.

What does the Whittam surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "white homestead" or "white dwelling."

What does the Whittam map show?

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