NameCensus.

UK surname

Whitton

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places called Whitton in England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,830 people recorded with the Whitton surname, ranking it #2,376 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,406, ranked #2,734, down from #2,376 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arbroath and St. Vigeans, London parishes and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Suffolk, Arbroath Harbour and Carmarthenshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whitton is 2,573 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.5%.

1881 census count

1,830

Ranked #2,376

Modern count

2,406

2016, ranked #2,734

Peak year

1999

2,573 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whitton had 1,830 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,376 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,406 in 2016, ranked #2,734.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,442 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Whitton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whitton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whitton 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 1,123 #2,509
1861 historical 1,298 #2,199
1881 historical 1,830 #2,376
1891 historical 2,079 #2,228
1901 historical 2,442 #2,228
1911 historical 1,941 #2,561
1997 modern 2,414 #2,603
1998 modern 2,545 #2,567
1999 modern 2,573 #2,555
2000 modern 2,527 #2,591
2001 modern 2,475 #2,588
2002 modern 2,502 #2,615
2003 modern 2,436 #2,621
2004 modern 2,442 #2,621
2005 modern 2,382 #2,646
2006 modern 2,387 #2,642
2007 modern 2,393 #2,663
2008 modern 2,402 #2,665
2009 modern 2,486 #2,660
2010 modern 2,489 #2,709
2011 modern 2,463 #2,709
2012 modern 2,378 #2,732
2013 modern 2,436 #2,722
2014 modern 2,436 #2,738
2015 modern 2,436 #2,718
2016 modern 2,406 #2,734

Geography

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Where Whittons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arbroath and St. Vigeans, London parishes, Wigan, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Suffolk, Arbroath Harbour, Carmarthenshire, County Durham and Arbroath Kirkton. 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 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
2 London parishes London 3
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Suffolk 011 Mid Suffolk
2 Arbroath Harbour Angus
3 Carmarthenshire 003 Carmarthenshire
4 County Durham 020 County Durham
5 Arbroath Kirkton Angus

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whitton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whitton

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Whitton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Whitton is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whitton falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Whitton

The surname Whitton is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the medieval period, probably around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hwit" meaning white and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who lived in or near a white or light-colored town or village.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which contains a reference to a William de Whitton in Lincolnshire. Additionally, the Placita de Quo Warranto of 1292 mentions a John de Wytteton in Warwickshire, which is believed to be an earlier spelling variation of the name.

In the 14th century, the surname Whitton appeared in several manorial records and tax rolls, indicating that it was a well-established surname by that time. For instance, the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from the late 14th century list a Thomas de Whitton as a landowner.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Robert de Whitton, a knight from Northumberland who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Another notable figure was William Whitton, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 15th century, who was mentioned in the city's records in 1436.

In the 16th century, the name Whitton was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Northumberland. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Whitton, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in Lichfield in 1556 during the Marian Persecutions.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Whitton surname continued to be well-represented in various parts of England, with some bearers of the name achieving notable positions. For example, John Whitton (1647-1704) was a Church of England clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Norfolk, while Sir William Whitton (1693-1771) was a British naval officer and Member of Parliament for Bridport.

As the centuries progressed, the Whitton surname also spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, as a result of migration and colonization. Some notable individuals with the surname Whitton in more recent times include Henry Whitton (1853-1931), an Australian cricketer and umpire, and Arthur Whitton (1861-1936), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in Sydney, Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Whitton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whitton 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. Angus leads with 409 Whittons recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.64x.

County Total Index
Angus 409 24.64x
Yorkshire 295 1.66x
Middlesex 141 0.79x
Lancashire 135 0.63x
Lincolnshire 86 3.00x
Devon 85 2.28x
Surrey 63 0.72x
Lanarkshire 60 1.04x
Suffolk 48 2.20x
Northamptonshire 44 2.61x
Cheshire 39 0.99x
Nottinghamshire 38 1.57x
Perthshire 30 3.73x
Fife 28 2.64x
Durham 27 0.51x
Gloucestershire 27 0.77x
Staffordshire 22 0.36x
Midlothian 19 0.79x
Aberdeenshire 18 1.08x
Buckinghamshire 18 1.66x
Kent 18 0.29x
Leicestershire 16 0.81x
Warwickshire 15 0.33x
Derbyshire 12 0.43x
Essex 11 0.31x
Glamorgan 11 0.35x
Northumberland 11 0.41x
Renfrewshire 11 0.79x
Kincardineshire 10 4.58x
Channel Islands 7 1.32x
Hampshire 7 0.19x
Hertfordshire 7 0.57x
Monmouthshire 7 0.54x
Dunbartonshire 6 1.25x
Inverness-shire 6 1.12x
Selkirkshire 6 3.70x
Oxfordshire 5 0.45x
Clackmannanshire 4 2.70x
Norfolk 4 0.15x
Royal Navy 4 1.87x
Berwickshire 3 1.38x
Cumberland 3 0.19x
Somerset 3 0.10x
Wiltshire 3 0.19x
Worcestershire 3 0.13x
Cornwall 2 0.10x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.35x
Sussex 2 0.07x
Ayrshire 1 0.07x
Bedfordshire 1 0.11x
Cardiganshire 1 0.23x
Ross-shire 1 0.20x
West Lothian 1 0.37x
Westmorland 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 138 Whittons recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.27x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 138 22.27x
Liff Benvie 69 27.38x
Islington London 34 1.96x
St Vigeans 29 32.36x
Brightside Bierlow 27 7.75x
Holy Trinity 27 6.32x
Newtyle 26 462.63x
Arbroath 25 45.44x
Pemberton 24 28.31x
Bethnal Green London 23 2.95x
Lambeth 22 1.41x
Barony 21 1.43x
Barry 20 100.40x
Nottingham St Mary 18 2.88x
Westbury 18 703.13x
Forfar 17 18.91x
Middlesbrough 15 6.49x
Barrow In Furness 14 4.84x
Eccleshill 14 32.40x
Halberton 14 161.10x
Aiskew 13 254.90x
Beverley St Mary 13 50.14x
Exminster 13 96.87x
Sculcoates 13 4.62x
Sedgley 13 5.79x
Athelington 12 1518.99x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 12 1.24x
Newington 12 24.54x
Cambusnethan 11 8.55x
Cullompton 11 67.53x
Denham 11 404.41x
Gainsborough 11 16.28x
Great Bolton 11 3.91x
Kirklington With 11 718.95x
New Monkland 11 6.42x
Stradbroke 11 149.25x
Whitby 11 18.38x
Deptford St Paul 10 2.12x
Habergham Eaves 10 5.15x
Horham 10 478.47x
Monifieth 10 17.05x
Sheffield 10 1.77x
St Pancras London 10 0.69x
Standish With Langtree 10 38.18x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 10 28.40x
Airmyn 9 295.08x
Battersea 9 1.36x
Carmyllie 9 127.30x
Coupar Angus 9 57.29x
Glamis 9 89.82x
Greens Norton 9 168.22x
Guthrie 9 330.88x
Kirkcaldy 9 17.11x
Newington 9 1.36x
St Marylebone London 9 0.94x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 9 10.91x
Ashby De La Zouch 8 17.37x
Aston 8 0.64x
Chorley In Macclesfield 8 66.39x
Cruwys Morchard 8 213.90x
Dun 8 240.96x
Kirkmichael 8 153.26x
Louth 8 12.18x
Oswaldtwistle 8 10.65x
Salford 8 1.28x
Shoreditch London 8 1.03x
Soothill 8 12.47x
Witton Le Wear 8 52.91x
Bainbridge 7 167.06x
Beverley St Martin 7 23.62x
Broxbourne 7 28.59x
Chelsea London 7 1.30x
Montrose 7 6.96x
Plymouth St Andrew 7 2.44x
Preston On Hill 7 203.49x
Snaith Cowick 7 65.91x
St Helier 7 4.05x
Staveley 7 14.06x
Stoke Canon 7 268.20x
Toxteth Park 7 0.97x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 76
William 74
George 43
Thomas 35
Henry 34
James 34
Charles 31
Joseph 29
Arthur 17
Robert 15
Alfred 13
Frederick 13
Frank 12
Samuel 11
Edward 10
David 8
Richard 8
Fred 7
Herbert 7
Albert 6
Edwin 6
Benjamin 4
Enoch 4
Ernest 4
Harry 4
Mark 4
Walter 4
Edgar 3
Marmaduke 3
Wm. 3
Andrew 2
Augustus 2
Chas. 2
Christopher 2
Dennis 2
Edwd.W. 2
Francis 2
Jarvis 2
Jas. 2
Jonathan 2
Lionel 2
Matthew 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Stephen 2
Timothy 2
Willm. 2
Corbett 1
Emma 1
F. 1

FAQ

Whitton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whitton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,830 people were recorded with the Whitton surname. That placed it at #2,376 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whitton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,406 in 2016. That gives Whitton a modern rank of #2,734.

What does the Whitton surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places called Whitton in England.

What does the Whitton map show?

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