NameCensus.

UK surname

Whitten

Derived from a place name meaning "white" or "fair-colored," likely referring to a light-colored landscape feature.

In the 1881 census there were 430 people recorded with the Whitten surname, ranking it #7,569 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 613, ranked #8,566, down from #7,569 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Hammersmith and Fulham and Coupar Angus and Meigle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whitten is 676 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.6%.

1881 census count

430

Ranked #7,569

Modern count

613

2016, ranked #8,566

Peak year

2000

676 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whitten had 430 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,569 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 613 in 2016, ranked #8,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 468 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Whitten surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whitten surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Whitten 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 236 #9,174
1861 historical 325 #7,835
1881 historical 430 #7,569
1891 historical 422 #8,483
1901 historical 468 #8,458
1911 historical 467 #8,267
1997 modern 636 #7,798
1998 modern 641 #7,986
1999 modern 652 #7,929
2000 modern 676 #7,695
2001 modern 652 #7,779
2002 modern 667 #7,794
2003 modern 622 #8,099
2004 modern 597 #8,375
2005 modern 587 #8,402
2006 modern 592 #8,368
2007 modern 597 #8,383
2008 modern 613 #8,272
2009 modern 617 #8,414
2010 modern 635 #8,398
2011 modern 626 #8,402
2012 modern 616 #8,423
2013 modern 617 #8,548
2014 modern 636 #8,402
2015 modern 606 #8,667
2016 modern 613 #8,566

Geography

Back to top

Where Whittens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch, Govan Combination and Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Hammersmith and Fulham, Coupar Angus and Meigle, Lossiemouth East and Seatown and Carmarthenshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 London parishes London 3
5 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 002 Northumberland
2 Hammersmith and Fulham 012 Hammersmith and Fulham
3 Coupar Angus and Meigle Perth and Kinross
4 Lossiemouth East and Seatown Moray
5 Carmarthenshire 026 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Whitten

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Whitten

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Whitten, 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 Whitten surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Whitten 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Whitten is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Whitten is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whitten falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Whitten 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Whitten

The surname Whitten is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "hwit" meaning "white." It arose as a descriptive name for someone with pale or fair complexion or hair color. The name emerged in the early medieval period, around the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Whitten can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1176, where it appears as "Whitene." This suggests that the surname was already in use by the late 12th century in parts of England.

In the 13th century, the name is documented in various forms, such as "Whiten" and "Witen," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a "William le Whiten" in Oxfordshire.

During the 14th century, the surname began to take on its more modern spelling of "Whitten." The Poll Tax Returns of 1379 list a "John Whitten" in Yorkshire, indicating the name's presence in northern England at that time.

Notable historical figures bearing the Whitten surname include Sir John Whitten (1555-1629), an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1612. In the 17th century, there was also a prominent Puritan minister named John Whitten (1620-1692) who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Other notable individuals with the Whitten surname include:

1. Sir Thomas Whitten (1676-1748), an English naval officer and colonial governor of Nova Scotia. 2. Joseph Whitten (1765-1841), an American soldier and politician who served in the War of 1812. 3. Robert Whitten (1819-1887), an American lawyer and politician from Virginia who served in the Confederate Congress during the Civil War. 4. Alice Whitten (1865-1946), an American educator and suffragist who advocated for women's rights and education reform. 5. John Henry Whitten (1906-1992), an American artist known for his vibrant abstract expressionist paintings.

While the Whitten surname is predominantly found in the United States and United Kingdom, it has also been documented in other English-speaking countries like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, reflecting the historical migration patterns of English settlers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Whitten families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whitten 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. Middlesex leads with 106 Whittens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.52x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 106 2.52x
Cumberland 40 11.02x
Lanarkshire 38 2.79x
Surrey 33 1.61x
Suffolk 22 4.29x
Nottinghamshire 21 3.70x
Durham 20 1.60x
Warwickshire 18 1.69x
Midlothian 16 2.83x
Kent 15 1.04x
Essex 14 1.68x
Gloucestershire 8 0.97x
Lancashire 8 0.16x
Ayrshire 7 2.22x
Lincolnshire 7 1.04x
Hertfordshire 6 2.07x
Norfolk 6 0.93x
Hampshire 5 0.58x
Northumberland 5 0.80x
Worcestershire 5 0.91x
Angus 4 1.02x
Morayshire 4 6.11x
Oxfordshire 4 1.54x
Staffordshire 4 0.28x
Fife 3 1.20x
Glamorgan 3 0.41x
Isle of Man 2 2.56x
Northamptonshire 2 0.50x
Yorkshire 2 0.05x
Berkshire 1 0.32x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.37x
Devon 1 0.11x
Perthshire 1 0.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 36 Whittens recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.68x.

Place Total Index
Govan 36 10.68x
Great Ashfield 21 3684.21x
Mile End Old Town 21 31.57x
Bethnal Green London 18 9.83x
Birmingham 18 5.08x
Lambeth 12 3.27x
Hackney London 11 4.66x
Kensington London 11 4.70x
Chelsea London 9 7.09x
Drigg Carleton 8 975.61x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 3.52x
Arlecdon 7 72.54x
Islington London 7 1.71x
Riccarton 7 147.06x
Sixhills 7 2800.00x
Westoe 7 9.85x
Willesden 7 17.62x
Bristol St George 6 15.70x
Broxbourne 6 104.17x
Kneesall 6 1463.41x
Muncaster 6 779.22x
St George Bloomsbury 6 24.81x
Whitehaven 6 31.02x
Woolwich 6 11.30x
Camberwell 5 1.86x
Dudley 5 7.47x
Egremont 5 57.80x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 9.21x
Newington 5 3.21x
Paddington London 5 3.23x
Bicester Market End 4 83.68x
Elgin 4 31.40x
Gillingham 4 13.50x
Middleton 4 314.96x
Shoreditch London 4 2.19x
South Shoebury 4 119.76x
Stranton 4 9.48x
Wallsend 4 20.12x
Winlaton 4 33.25x
Colchester St Martin 3 197.37x
Coulsdon 3 80.43x
Dundee 3 2.06x
Ealing 3 7.97x
Edinburgh Old 3 87.46x
Handsworth 3 8.56x
Leslie 3 47.47x
Nottingham St Mary 3 2.04x
Snenton 3 13.44x
Swansea Town 3 4.99x
Wetheral 3 62.50x
Caterham 2 22.03x
Colchester St Runwald 2 454.55x
Dalkeith 2 17.95x
Great Burstead 2 66.01x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 2 10.28x
Kirkby Ireleth 2 80.32x
Liverpool 2 0.66x
Malew 2 29.24x
Millom 2 17.99x
Milton In Gravesend 2 9.28x
North Muskham 2 256.41x
Radford 2 6.93x
Richmond 2 6.95x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 2.36x
Aldershot 1 3.46x
Ardwick 1 2.22x
Gosforth 1 56.50x
Hockerton 1 666.67x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 5.74x
Lamplugh 1 54.95x
North Shields 1 7.99x
Northwood 1 8.13x
Pinner 1 27.10x
Southampton St Mary 1 1.84x
St Faith Winchester 1 24.81x
St Vigeans 1 4.75x
Wellingborough 1 5.02x
West Bromwich 1 1.23x
West Ham 1 0.54x
Woking 1 8.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 20
Jane 15
Mary 14
Sarah 10
Ellen 6
Emily 6
Emma 6
Maria 6
Alice 5
Ann 5
Hannah 4
Susan 4
Anna 3
Florence 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Annie 2
Barbara 2
Dora 2
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Rose 2
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Elisabeth 1
Ellanor 1
Elleanor 1
Eunice 1
Jessie 1
John 1
Julia 1
June 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lillian 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Margt. 1
Mehetable 1
Peggy 1
Phillis 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 28
William 28
George 13
Alfred 10
James 10
Thomas 10
Henry 9
Joseph 9
Charles 7
Edward 7
Robert 4
Albert 3
David 3
Ernest 3
Abraham 2
Allan 2
Andrew 2
Archer 2
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Samuel 2
Stephen 2
Walter 2
(Mr) 1
Alban 1
Anne 1
Arnold 1
Athol 1
Chas. 1
Claude 1
Claudius 1
Daniel 1
Danl. 1
Edwd. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Jesse 1
Louis 1
Moses 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Richard 1
Tom 1
Wilfred 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Whitten surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whitten surname in 1881?

In 1881, 430 people were recorded with the Whitten surname. That placed it at #7,569 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whitten surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 613 in 2016. That gives Whitten a modern rank of #8,566.

What does the Whitten surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "white" or "fair-colored," likely referring to a light-colored landscape feature.

What does the Whitten map show?

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