This surname is derived from a nickname. (1) A direct translation of the earlier Blanchpain. (2) But perhaps a corruption of Whitebeard, of which an early instance seems to be found below; compare Blackbeard, Brownbeard. The first derivation is feasible as translations of the French were.

William Wytebred, Lincolnshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

John Witbred, London, ibid.

Nicholas Wytberd, Gloucestershire, ibid.

Henry Whitbread. Rolls of Parliament.

1589. Married — Nicholas Wiblen and Catherine Whytebread: St, Dionis Backchurch.

1661. — Thomas Whitebread and Debora Boden: St. Mary Aldermary.

1750. Buried — Benjamin Whitebread, parish clerk: St. Michael, Cornhill.

(English) a trade-name for a seller of White Bread, i.e., the best bread [Old English hwít + breád: as bread in A.-Saxon more commonly meant 'crumb,’ ‘piece,’ the usual term for ‘white bread’ was hwíte hláf, white or wheat loaf] This name was Frenchified by Norman scribes as Blancpain or Blauncpain. On the other hand, there is no doubt that Whitbread was sometimes an Angli- cization of an orig. French Blancpain, usually occurring to-day in France as Blanpain.

William Wytebred.—Hundred Rolls

The letter it is very apt to change places with the vowel preceding or following it; thus, the Old English brid has become bird, and firth, an estuary, is, among Southrons, frith. In like manner, the last syllable of this word was perhaps originally berd, that is, beard. Thus Whitebread would be a sobriquet, like Silverlock, Redhead, &c. See , however, ' Blancpain.' Witbred occurs in the Hundred Rolls; and in 11. Edward I. we meet with the names Will. Milkanbred, and Walter, son of Will. Milk and bred! N. & Q., Jan. 24, 1857. The notorious murderer, Eugene Aram, heroized by a modern novelist, was usher, in 1744, to the Rev. Mr. Painblanc, in Piccadilly.

The English form of Blancpain, a foreign name, which, however, does not appear in the Rolls of the Exchequer of Normandy, and may have come from another province. Hugo Blancpain and William de Reini agreed regarding lands in Bucks 1202 (Rotulus Cancellarii). In 1268 Ralph Fitz-Walter Whitbread paid a fine in Bedfordshire (Roberts, Excerpta, ii.).