NameCensus.

UK surname

Whitwam

An old English surname meaning "white pasture" or "white valley".

In the 1881 census there were 696 people recorded with the Whitwam surname, ranking it #5,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 349, ranked #13,189, down from #5,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Huddersfield and Almondbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whitwam is 770 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 49.9%.

1881 census count

696

Ranked #5,211

Modern count

349

2016, ranked #13,189

Peak year

1901

770 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whitwam had 696 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 349 in 2016, ranked #13,189.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 770 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Whitwam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whitwam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whitwam 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 224 #9,534
1861 historical 301 #8,412
1881 historical 696 #5,211
1891 historical 734 #5,406
1901 historical 770 #5,819
1911 historical 770 #5,629
1997 modern 371 #11,645
1998 modern 382 #11,779
1999 modern 368 #12,182
2000 modern 369 #12,106
2001 modern 374 #11,805
2002 modern 367 #12,198
2003 modern 354 #12,319
2004 modern 360 #12,205
2005 modern 348 #12,410
2006 modern 339 #12,754
2007 modern 348 #12,637
2008 modern 345 #12,839
2009 modern 352 #12,918
2010 modern 362 #12,914
2011 modern 364 #12,713
2012 modern 365 #12,547
2013 modern 368 #12,676
2014 modern 364 #12,876
2015 modern 362 #12,825
2016 modern 349 #13,189

Geography

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Where Whitwams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Huddersfield and Almondbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Almondbury Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 049 Kirklees
2 Kirklees 036 Kirklees
3 Kirklees 041 Kirklees
4 Kirklees 045 Kirklees
5 Kirklees 038 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whitwam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whitwam

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Whitwam is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Whitwam is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whitwam 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 Whitwam is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Whitwam

The surname Whitwam has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is traditionally associated with the areas of Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, regions in the northern part of the country where the name is most frequently found. The name itself is derived from Old English words. The word "whit" historically referred to the color white, and "wam" is likely derived from "ham," meaning home or settlement. Hence, Whitwam can be interpreted as "White Home" or "Settlement at the White Place."

Historical references to the name Whitwam can be traced back to documents and records from the medieval era. One of the earliest instances of the name appears in the 1379 Poll Tax records for Yorkshire, where variations of the spelling such as Whitwham or Whytwam have been noted. Middle English evolution of the language often led to various spellings of surnames until standardization became more common in the later centuries.

The earliest recorded example of a person bearing the name Whitwam is one John Whitwam, mentioned in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379, highlighting the name's deep historical roots in that region. Another historical figure is Richard Whitwam, who lived during the mid-15th century and is noted in local parish records. Records from ecclesiastical sources in the 16th and 17th centuries occasionally feature the Whitwam name, often linked to land transactions and local community affairs.

Throughout history, the Whitwam surname has been found in various public and legal records. Thomas Whitwam, born in 1623, was a noted figure in the West Yorkshire area, involved in early industrial activities, which were burgeoning during his lifetime. By the 18th century, families bearing the Whitwam surname were establishing themselves in broader areas of England, evident from multiple entries in birth and marriage registers.

Noteworthy individuals include Samuel Whitwam, born in 1790 and recognized for his contributions to local trade and commerce in Leeds, Yorkshire. In more recent centuries, Ernest Whitwam (1865-1924) made a name for himself as an influential figure in the early development of regional railway systems, playing a key role in the industrial expansion of Northern England.

The Whitwam surname, while not exceedingly common, is imbued with a historical tapestry that reflects the settlement and occupational traditions of medieval and early modern England, resonating through several centuries of documented history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Whitwam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whitwam 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. Yorkshire leads with 671 Whitwams recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.97x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 671 9.97x
Lancashire 18 0.22x
Wiltshire 5 0.83x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Golcar in Yorkshire leads with 387 Whitwams recorded in 1881 and an index of 2175.38x.

Place Total Index
Golcar 387 2175.38x
Longwood 63 581.18x
Huddersfield 39 39.79x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 37 218.03x
Bingley 20 46.67x
Elland Cum Greetland 17 56.09x
Linthwaite 17 120.23x
Stainland Cum Old 13 112.95x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 7.81x
Darfield 10 163.40x
Leeds 10 2.63x
Gildersome 6 74.17x
Morley 6 17.15x
Wakefield 6 11.62x
Wilsden 6 86.83x
Fixby 5 427.35x
Mirfield 5 13.54x
Oldham 5 1.92x
Swindon 5 10.74x
Almondbury 4 12.30x
Meltham 4 38.24x
Southowram 4 19.48x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 1.70x
Lockwood 3 12.40x
Slaithwaite 3 42.86x
Halifax 2 2.02x
Idle 2 6.41x
Worksop 2 7.37x
Clifton In Halifax 1 24.88x
Holbeck 1 2.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 65
Sarah 36
Emma 20
Annie 18
Elizabeth 18
Martha 17
Hannah 15
Alice 14
Jane 12
Clara 8
Ann 7
Edith 7
Eliza 7
Ellen 7
Harriet 7
Nancy 6
Betty 4
Louisa 4
Charlotte 3
Lavinia 3
Lizzie 3
Lydia 3
Maria 3
Miriam 3
Rebecca 3
Agnes 2
Betsy 2
Caroline 2
Edna 2
Elizth. 2
Emily 2
Esther 2
Frances 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Rachel 2
Rosette 2
Amy 1
Angelina 1
Aseneth 1
Bridget 1
Clarinda 1
Ethel 1
Helena 1
Isabella 1
Lavina 1
Lena 1
Liley 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 35
Joseph 20
James 18
Charles 17
William 17
Fred 13
Joe 12
Thomas 12
George 11
Henry 10
Alfred 9
Benjamin 7
David 7
Tom 7
Arthur 6
Herbert 6
Albert 5
Ben 5
Wright 5
Edward 4
Ephraim 4
Friend 4
Samuel 4
Seth 4
Allen 3
Eli 3
Joel 3
Shaw 3
Walter 3
Abraham 2
Christopher 2
Edwin 2
Harry 2
Leatham 2
Oliver 2
Richard 2
Sam 2
Titus 2
Walker 2
Willie 2
Wm. 2
Annie 1
Bright 1
Charley 1
Elou 1
Emanuel 1
Enos 1
Firth 1
Francis 1
Jesse 1

FAQ

Whitwam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whitwam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 696 people were recorded with the Whitwam surname. That placed it at #5,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whitwam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 349 in 2016. That gives Whitwam a modern rank of #13,189.

What does the Whitwam surname mean?

An old English surname meaning "white pasture" or "white valley".

What does the Whitwam map show?

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