This surname is derived from a nickname. 'the white,' of fair complexion; such as Black, Brown, Read, Russell, Blunt, &c. There is no need to furnish modern Illustrations.

Geoffrey le Whyte, Canterbury, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Roger le Whyte, Sussex, ibid.

William the White, Close Rolls, 13 Edward III.

Thomas White, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Magota Whyt, 1379: ibid.

Huita, Huuita, and Hwita occur as personal names in Old English charters, from Old English hwit, 'white.' Hwita is also found as a byname. In an Old English charter dated before 925 A.D. we find Wulfnoð hwita (Cartularium Saxonicum). Whyte is also used as an Englishing of Gaelic M'Illebhàin (MacChillebhilin). In earl) record the name is Latinized albus. Uuiaett Hwite witnessed King Eadgar's charter of Coldingham, c. 1097-1107 (Nat. MSS., I, 4). Adam Albus appears as a charter witness between 1180 and 1214 (RAA., I, 39, 61), and c. 1198 Simone Albus witnessed a charter by Earl David (LAC., 8). Before 1240 William Albus witnessed the grant of Parva Kyp (Little Kyp) to the Abbey of Kelso (Kelso, 181). John Albus was senescallus or steward to Matilda, countess of Angus, 1242 (RAA., I, p, 332). Robert I granted to Adam Quhyt a charter of the lands of Stayhar afterwards called Stauquhat or Barskimming in Ayrshire (RMS., I, App. II, 346), and Adam Albus held lands in Kincardineshire in the reign of Robert II. Gilbert Qwhyt was bailie of the burgh of Rutherglen, 1376 (ER., II. p. 537), Thome White held land in Irvine, 1426 (Irvine, I, p. 130), Andrew Qwhit was a citizen of Brechin, 1472 (REB., II, 275), and 'ait (= Patrick) Quheyt rented the land of Kendy Hyll in 1525 (Rental). Robert Whytte was first provost (1658) the town of Kirkekaldie ever had (Lamont, Diary, p. 108). Quheit 1587, Quheitt 1588, Quhit 1497, Quhite 1493, Quhyt 1562, Quhyte 1462, Quyt 1606, Qwhyth 1482, Qwite 1407, Qwyt 1471, Whyt 1646, Whytt 1677.

(English & Scandinavian) Of White or Fair Complexion [Old English hwít = O.N . huít-r] Hwita was the name of an 8th-cent. bishop of Lichfield.

Roger le Whyte.—Hundred Rolls

An English name numerous in every province but often used for Banane, Bane, Galligan and Kilbane.

Bibl; App infra; IF 303; MIF 150 etc; Map Down and Sligo

(English) The light or fair-complexioned person, or one with white hair; descendant of Hwita (white).

Of light or fair complexion, corresponding with the French Le Blond, the Gaelic Bane, the Ital. Biondi, the Dutch De Witt, the German Weiss, and the old classical Candidus, Chlorus, &c. The Lond. Direct, shews almost 300 traders of this name. In the H.R. it is latinized Albus.

A name given from the color of the hair, or complexion. The name may be also local, derived from the Isle of Wight, on the coast of Hampshire, so called from the Welsh, Gwydd, wood, from its primitive forest.

This name may not always be from fairness of complexion (Anglo-Saxon hwít); but, as Mr. Akerman suggests, it may sometimes be from Anglo-Saxon hwita, a sharpener, swordsmith, or armourer. White is the name of several counties of the U.S., North America.

Matthew and Hubert le Blanc, Normandy 1180-95; Richard and Robert L., 1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae); Godefrid Albus, Engl. 1189 (Rot. Pip.); Dionysia, Gilbert, &c., le Wite; Henry Blanche, Engl. c. 1272 (Rotuli Hundredorum). The name doubtless includes families not of Norman origin.

From the Old Norse, Hvítr; from the Swedish, Witt; from the Dutch, Witte; in the Domesday Book, Wit, Wite; a personal name.

White. —Distributed over the greater part of England, but relatively infrequent in the extreme north and in most of the eastern counties, and mostly crowded together in the south - west and in the midlands. The south - west of England is, however, the principal home of the name, the counties of Devonshire, Somerset, Dorset, Wilts, and Hants being especially remarkable for the number of Whites. Derbyshire and Worcestershire are the chief centres of the midland Whites, but the name is also well represented in Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Bucks. There would appear to be also secondary centres in the North and East Ridings and in Kent. Although comparatively infrequent in the extreme north of England, it has established itself in fair numbers in Scotland south of the Forth and the Clyde; and there the Whytes have their home, being half as numerous as the Whites. It is probable that in the great majority of cases this name is derived from the Anglo - Saxon "hwit," referring to the fairness of the complexion; and, in fact, we find it Latinized as Albus in the Hundred Rolls of six centuries ago. It should not, however, be forgotten, as Lower also points out, that it may, in some instances, have taken its origin from the Anglo - Saxon "hwita," an armourer or swordsmith, of Canute's time.

The surname White derives from the Old English word ‘Hwit’ meaning the colour white. This name would thus have originated as a nickname, given say, to someone who had a white or fair complexion or hair, and it came to be a Christian name too.

Another, rarer, derivation is from the name Wight. This also is a nickname, but from the Old Norse, and means ‘valiant, strong, nimble’. It is possible, but unlikely, that some instances of Wight may have been taken from the place-name form, for someone who came from the Isle of Wight.

Another, very rare, derivation of the surname White is as a place name for someone who came from the village of White. There are two such villages. One is in Huntingdonshire (where the name derives from the Old English for ‘a bend in the river’), and the other is in Devon (where the name derives from the Old French for ‘a look-out place’).

There are innumerable variations of the original name White. The most widespread of these are Whyte, Witt (which as Witte is the Dutch form) and Witts. These gave rise to Whiteson, Whitesmith (an occupational name for a tinsmith, tin being traditionally white), Whiter (an occupational name from the Old English for a whitewasher). And there are numerous surnames such as Whitehall, Whitelaw, etc., which are derived from place names and objects containing White-. Whitebread, however, is a nickname-‘white beard’.

The name White was well established in this country long before the Norman Conquest, and even rose in popularity when the Normans arrived. The first reference to the surname White appears in the pre-Conquest annals for Herefordshire, where one Purcil Hwita was listed in 1038.

The Bank of England, in Threadneedle Street, is haunted by a ghost known as the Black Nun, who wanders dismally about the Bank garden, formerly an old churchyard. She is said to be Sarah Whitehead, whose brother Philip was a Bank employee arrested for forging cheques in 1811 and condemned to death. Sarah went mad with grief and for the next 25 years journeyed daily to the Bank looking for her brother. She was buried in the adjacent churchyard, and has reputedly been sighted many times since.

America’s highest peak, Mount Whitney in Southern California, is named in honour of geologist Josiah Whitney.

Lord Mayors of London have included many Whites: Richard Whytyngdone (1397, 1406, 1419), William White (1489), Thomas Whyte (1553), John Whyte (1563), Sir Thomas White (1876) and James Whitehead (1888).

Whitworth Standard screw threads are named after Sir Joseph Whitworth, the British mechanical engineer of tool-making fame.

The White House, official residence of US Presidents at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, acquired its name when a coat of white paint was hurridly slapped on to cover scorch marks incurred during the War of 1812, when the British stormed Washington.

White’s, the noted gentlemen’s club in St James’s, London, was established in 1693 as a chocolate-house, and named after its proprietor.

As a colour-related surname White has remarkable representation both in terms of place names and geographic features all over the world. No fewer than 77 United Kingdom towns and cities are namesakes. These range from Whiteabbey to Whitewreath and include the colourfully named Whitechurch Canonicorum. Great Britain also has rivers called the Whiteadder Water and the White Esk, and a White Coomb mountain. Canada has 13 name-related towns. The United States has 78, which range from White Bird to Whitewright and include a number that reflect on life in the midst of the Indians, such as Whiteface and White Settlement. Australia has a White Mark and a White Well, New Zealand a White Rock hill, while South Africa has towns called Whites and Whitesands. There are many White mountains, being so named for the presence of year-round snow. White and White Water rivers are often so called because they run swiftly and create white water.

With about 204,000 namesakes White is the 12th most popular surname in England and Wales. There are over 10,000 Whites in Scotland where it is 71st in popularity. In Ireland it is estimated that with about 14,000, White is the 12th most popular surname. White is notably popular in and around Bristol where an estimated one in about 240 families bears the name. Around the world Whites are most common in Canberra (one in 377 families), Sydney (one in 414) and Melbourne (one in 416). The United States has more Whites than the entire population of Liverpool-an estimated total of just over 668,000 makes this their 15th most popular surname.