NameCensus.

UK surname

Witte

German and Dutch surname derived from the Middle High German word "wiz" or Middle Dutch "wit," meaning "white" or "fair-haired."

In the 1881 census there were 18 people recorded with the Witte surname, ranking it #31,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 136, ranked #25,377, up from #31,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ceredigion, Sunderland and Rochford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Witte is 140 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 655.6%.

1881 census count

18

Ranked #31,019

Modern count

136

2016, ranked #25,377

Peak year

2014

140 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Witte had 18 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016, ranked #25,377.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 89 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Witte surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Witte surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Witte 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 33 #27,390
1861 historical 56 #26,864
1881 historical 18 #31,019
1891 historical 83 #26,376
1901 historical 69 #26,499
1911 historical 89 #23,922
1997 modern 110 #25,529
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 113 #25,489
2002 modern 124 #24,616
2003 modern 118 #25,146
2004 modern 115 #25,740
2005 modern 117 #25,433
2006 modern 120 #25,269
2007 modern 119 #25,747
2008 modern 118 #26,212
2009 modern 130 #25,176
2010 modern 134 #25,263
2011 modern 135 #24,922
2012 modern 138 #24,614
2013 modern 136 #25,252
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 136 #25,352
2016 modern 136 #25,377

Geography

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Where Wittes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ceredigion, Sunderland, Rochford and Leith (Hermitage and Prospect Bank). 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ceredigion 007 Ceredigion
2 Sunderland 024 Sunderland
3 Rochford 005 Rochford
4 Leith (Hermitage and Prospect Bank) City of Edinburgh
5 Sunderland 019 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Witte

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Witte

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Witte, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Witte surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Witte household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Witte 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

Witte 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

Witte falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Witte is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Witte

The surname WITTE has its origins in Germany, and is derived from the Germanic word "hwit," meaning white or bright. It is believed to have first emerged in the 12th century as a descriptive name, likely referring to a person with fair hair or complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a medieval manuscript from the 13th century, which mentions a "Henricus Witte" in the city of Münster. The surname also appears in various historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries across various regions of Germany, including Saxony, Brandenburg, and Westphalia.

The name WITTE was particularly prevalent in the northern German states, where it was often associated with prominent families and individuals. In the 16th century, Petrus Witte (1499-1572) was a renowned German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

Another notable figure was Johann Heinrich Witte (1703-1773), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a professor at the University of Halle and authored several influential works on jurisprudence.

In the 18th century, Samuel Gottlieb Witte (1730-1803) was a German philanthropist and industrialist who established several charitable foundations and made significant contributions to the development of the textile industry in Saxony.

The name WITTE also has ties to various place names in Germany, such as Wittenburg (now known as Białogard) in Pomerania, and the town of Wittenberg, famously associated with Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation.

During the 19th century, Carl Witte (1800-1883) was a renowned German chemist and inventor, best known for his contributions to the development of the modern match.

As German immigrants settled in other parts of the world, the surname WITTE spread to various countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Witte families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Witte 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 15 Wittes recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.54x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 15 8.54x
Essex 1 2.89x
Lancashire 1 0.48x
Surrey 1 1.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 8 Wittes recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.30x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 8 81.30x
Fulham London 2 78.43x
Mile End Old Town 2 72.20x
Camberwell 1 8.91x
Chelsea London 1 18.90x
Grays Thurrock 1 312.50x
Kensington London 1 10.25x
St Pancras London 1 7.08x
Withington 1 149.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jessie 2
Alice 1
Florence 1
Jane 1
Laura 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Selina 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Daniel 2
Geo. 1
Henry 1
Johan 1
Julius 1
Thomas 1
Victor 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Witte households.

FAQ

Witte surname: questions and answers

How common was the Witte surname in 1881?

In 1881, 18 people were recorded with the Witte surname. That placed it at #31,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Witte surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016. That gives Witte a modern rank of #25,377.

What does the Witte surname mean?

German and Dutch surname derived from the Middle High German word "wiz" or Middle Dutch "wit," meaning "white" or "fair-haired."

What does the Witte map show?

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