NameCensus.

UK surname

Whittington

A locational surname derived from any of the places in England named Whittington, meaning "white settlement" or "Hwita's settlement."

In the 1881 census there were 2,108 people recorded with the Whittington surname, ranking it #2,098 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,941, ranked #2,292, down from #2,098 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newchurch, London parishes and Calbourne, Shalfleet, Brook. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chichester, Forest of Dean and Newport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whittington is 3,156 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.5%.

1881 census count

2,108

Ranked #2,098

Modern count

2,941

2016, ranked #2,292

Peak year

2000

3,156 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whittington had 2,108 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,098 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,941 in 2016, ranked #2,292.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,004 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Whittington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whittington surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whittington 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 1,110 #2,538
1861 historical 1,211 #2,344
1881 historical 2,108 #2,098
1891 historical 2,302 #2,036
1901 historical 2,771 #2,005
1911 historical 3,004 #1,733
1997 modern 2,980 #2,172
1998 modern 3,118 #2,154
1999 modern 3,154 #2,142
2000 modern 3,156 #2,129
2001 modern 3,078 #2,135
2002 modern 3,130 #2,149
2003 modern 3,066 #2,141
2004 modern 3,058 #2,146
2005 modern 2,964 #2,188
2006 modern 2,977 #2,178
2007 modern 2,976 #2,190
2008 modern 2,998 #2,190
2009 modern 3,047 #2,213
2010 modern 3,121 #2,210
2011 modern 3,086 #2,207
2012 modern 2,966 #2,254
2013 modern 3,013 #2,259
2014 modern 3,018 #2,275
2015 modern 2,963 #2,287
2016 modern 2,941 #2,292

Geography

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Where Whittingtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newchurch, London parishes, Calbourne, Shalfleet, Brook and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chichester, Forest of Dean, Newport, Isle of Wight and Torfaen. 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 Newchurch Hampshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Calbourne, Shalfleet, Brook Hampshire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chichester 005 Chichester
2 Forest of Dean 007 Forest of Dean
3 Newport 015 Newport
4 Isle of Wight 008 Isle of Wight
5 Torfaen 003 Torfaen

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whittington

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whittington

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Whittington 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

Whittington 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

Whittington falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Whittington

The surname Whittington is of English origin, derived from a place name. It is believed to have originated in the village of Whittington, located in the county of Shropshire. The name is thought to have been derived from the Old English words "hwit" meaning white, and "tun" meaning a farm or settlement, thus translating to "white farm" or "white settlement."

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Whittington dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire, where it appeared as "de Whytington." This early spelling suggests that the name was initially used as a locative surname, indicating that the bearer hailed from the village of Whittington.

One of the most notable historical figures associated with the Whittington surname is Richard Whittington, a famous merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London four times between 1397 and 1419. His story, which involves him becoming wealthy through his trade ventures and his legendary encounter with a cat, has been immortalized in the popular folktale "Dick Whittington and His Cat."

Another prominent individual bearing the Whittington surname was Sir John Whittington, a 16th-century English judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1572 to 1579.

In the literary world, Robert Whittington (1480-1553) was an English grammarian and schoolmaster, known for his work "Grammaticae prima pars" published in 1516, which was widely used as a textbook in schools.

Sir Sibert Whittington (1640-1706) was an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Staffordshire in the late 17th century.

Andrew Whittington (1768-1830) was a British architect and surveyor, best known for his work on the Birmingham Town Hall and the reconstruction of the Church of St. Martin in Birmingham.

While the Whittington surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the village of Whittington in Shropshire, where it first emerged as a locative surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Whittington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whittington 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 279 Whittingtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.36x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 279 1.36x
Hampshire 245 5.81x
Yorkshire 240 1.18x
Sussex 226 6.52x
Surrey 153 1.53x
Lancashire 114 0.47x
Warwickshire 81 1.56x
Kent 77 1.10x
Bedfordshire 75 7.04x
Nottinghamshire 62 2.24x
Gloucestershire 60 1.49x
Somerset 60 1.81x
Staffordshire 49 0.71x
Leicestershire 48 2.11x
Cambridgeshire 36 2.76x
Berkshire 35 2.27x
Lincolnshire 35 1.06x
Montgomeryshire 25 5.31x
Worcestershire 24 0.89x
Durham 23 0.38x
Cheshire 20 0.44x
Glamorgan 17 0.47x
Merionethshire 13 3.45x
Monmouthshire 12 0.81x
Northamptonshire 12 0.62x
Caernarfonshire 11 1.32x
Essex 11 0.27x
Carmarthenshire 10 1.15x
Cardiganshire 9 1.79x
Cumberland 9 0.51x
Derbyshire 8 0.25x
Herefordshire 8 0.95x
Cornwall 4 0.17x
Devon 4 0.09x
Dorset 2 0.15x
Hertfordshire 2 0.14x
Shropshire 2 0.11x
Angus 1 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.08x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.24x
Norfolk 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.08x
Rutland 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ryde in Hampshire leads with 42 Whittingtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.39x.

Place Total Index
Ryde 42 46.39x
Brading 35 62.48x
Sheffield 34 5.24x
St Pancras London 32 1.93x
Islington London 31 1.56x
Sileby 31 215.58x
Shalfleet 30 369.00x
Aston 29 2.03x
Ecclesall Bierlow 29 7.00x
Flitwick 29 503.47x
Brighton 26 3.72x
Birmingham 25 1.45x
Brightside Bierlow 24 6.01x
Ecclesfield 24 16.06x
Lambeth 22 1.23x
Thorney 21 145.23x
Rotherham 20 17.41x
Crowland 18 87.29x
Arreton 17 125.83x
Camberwell 17 1.29x
Kirdford 17 141.20x
Frome 16 20.21x
Nether Hallam 16 5.80x
West Dean 16 24.42x
Carisbrooke 15 25.64x
Croydon 15 2.70x
Lodsworth 15 312.50x
New Windsor 15 28.91x
Newton St Loe 15 583.66x
Shoreditch London 15 1.68x
South Bersted 15 50.86x
Bromley 14 13.09x
Greasbrough 14 52.03x
St Clement Danes 14 42.05x
Calbourne 13 287.61x
Greenford 13 343.01x
Neath 13 17.84x
Thurleigh 13 306.60x
Liverpool 12 0.81x
Westoe 12 3.46x
Abingdon St Helen 11 24.37x
Angmering 11 158.73x
Hulme 11 2.16x
Paddington London 11 1.45x
St Marylebone London 11 1.00x
Streatham 11 7.21x
Ventnor 11 27.44x
West Derby 11 1.54x
Westbury On Severn East 11 12.07x
Bedminster 10 3.22x
Bethnal Green London 10 1.12x
Bow London 10 3.82x
Hoyland Nether 10 20.01x
Lewisham 10 2.67x
Llanelly 10 5.12x
Normanton On Trent 10 444.44x
Walton On Hill 10 7.57x
Cranleigh 9 61.39x
Deptford St Paul 9 1.66x
Feltham 9 43.84x
Fittleworth 9 183.67x
Hornsey 9 3.46x
Hove 9 5.92x
Lydney 9 43.23x
Marske In Guisbrough 9 24.87x
Ruardean 9 98.68x
Shorwell 9 208.33x
West Bromwich 9 2.26x
Westbourne 9 52.14x
Chichester St Pancras 8 77.22x
Chislehurst 8 21.27x
Cocking 8 196.56x
Harborne 8 3.60x
Hayes 8 38.13x
Llanystymdwy 8 98.52x
Marston Moretaine 8 96.39x
Pool 8 22.51x
Rotherhithe 8 3.15x
Southampton St John 8 185.61x
Wootton Wawen 8 48.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 143
Elizabeth 73
Sarah 69
Ann 47
Jane 46
Eliza 35
Ellen 34
Emily 30
Alice 27
Annie 27
Emma 26
Fanny 25
Caroline 21
Charlotte 18
Florence 17
Hannah 17
Maria 16
Martha 15
Lucy 14
Margaret 14
Ada 12
Frances 12
Louisa 12
Amy 11
Anne 10
Catherine 10
Clara 10
Agnes 9
Edith 9
Harriet 9
Matilda 9
Kate 7
Esther 6
Gertrude 6
Minnie 6
Rose 6
Susan 6
Harriett 5
Rebecca 5
Rhoda 5
Amelia 4
Anna 4
Beatrice 4
Eleanor 4
Ethel 4
Julia 4
Lydia 4
May 4
Rachel 4
Ruth 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 135
John 129
George 91
Thomas 63
Henry 61
James 57
Richard 48
Charles 39
Edward 29
Joseph 26
Walter 22
Arthur 19
Alfred 18
Samuel 17
Frederick 15
Robert 14
Frank 12
Harry 12
Albert 10
Ernest 10
Edwin 8
Jesse 8
Benjamin 6
Herbert 6
Francis 5
Isaac 5
Stephen 5
Wm. 5
Geo. 4
Jacob 4
Luke 4
Percy 4
Thos. 4
Ellis 3
Fred 3
Frederic 3
Fredk. 3
Jabez 3
Jno. 3
Mark 3
Tom 3
Cecil 2
Daniel 2
Dick 2
Edgar 2
Fredrick 2
Hugh 2
Jeremiah 2
Morris 2
Willm. 2

FAQ

Whittington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whittington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,108 people were recorded with the Whittington surname. That placed it at #2,098 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whittington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,941 in 2016. That gives Whittington a modern rank of #2,292.

What does the Whittington surname mean?

A locational surname derived from any of the places in England named Whittington, meaning "white settlement" or "Hwita's settlement."

What does the Whittington map show?

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