Whitehead Surname

5,271st
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 107,578 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Isle of Man

Whitehead Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from a nickname. 'with the whitehead,' a common sobriquet, as our records prove, especially in North England; compare Hoar. There is no evidence of a local origin, although Redhead and Blackett (Blackhead) are, like Greenhead, local occasionally.

Read More About This Surname

Whitehead Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States57,7301:6,279731
England28,3231:1,967234
Australia8,4491:3,195445
Canada5,1241:7,1911,061
South Africa2,3621:22,9372,916
New Zealand1,6951:2,672380
Scotland8431:6,3511,005
Wales8121:3,811414
Brazil1981:1,081,18337,845
Ireland1701:27,7002,530
Thailand1551:455,73179,917
Spain1501:311,68018,543
France1421:467,76666,487
Bahamas1121:3,498420
Isle of Man881:975148
Germany771:1,045,52570,954
Barbados761:3,782506
Zimbabwe711:217,44024,563
Jamaica631:45,5552,772
Northern Ireland581:31,8113,241
Portugal571:182,7767,697
Singapore561:98,3524,171
Guyana411:18,5912,383
Jersey411:2,420410
Dominican Republic391:267,5119,432
Kuwait391:97,45410,676
Mexico371:3,354,76224,142
Switzerland291:283,20422,806
Trinidad and Tobago271:50,5184,407
Argentina251:1,709,73790,467
Iceland251:15,2041,298
Qatar251:94,32010,875
Malta241:17,9281,021
Netherlands241:703,63256,027
Norway231:223,57824,793
Guernsey221:2,929767
Sweden211:468,89333,666
Malaysia201:1,474,71161,770
Philippines181:5,624,346177,167
Antigua and Barbuda151:6,611774
Bermuda151:4,352690
Hong Kong151:489,0323,321
Panama121:326,0227,351
Czechia111:966,67976,885
Indonesia111:12,022,654410,938
Austria101:851,54467,454
China101:136,732,1577,199
Belgium91:1,277,40587,318
Denmark91:627,19136,734
Ecuador91:1,767,31620,027
Saudi Arabia91:3,428,42432,607
Nigeria71:25,306,108327,793
Oman71:526,8535,771
Israel61:1,426,27275,466
Japan61:21,307,38248,838
Peru61:5,297,35436,458
Poland61:6,334,792156,558
Russia61:24,020,509493,300
Sudan61:6,251,6998,174
India51:153,413,076951,030
Italy51:12,231,338126,430
South Korea51:10,248,0511,694
United Arab Emirates51:1,832,45558,414
Vietnam51:18,529,2113,282
Afghanistan41:8,038,29630,874
Brunei41:104,6832,048
Chile41:4,404,11844,633
Cyprus41:221,2198,471
Finland41:1,374,17650,379
Greece41:2,769,948101,568
Marshall Islands41:12,9551,460
Taiwan41:5,861,18633,577
United States Virgin Islands41:27,5943,273
Costa Rica31:1,593,3568,177
Egypt31:30,645,251132,600
Georgia31:1,248,51528,066
Papua New Guinea31:2,717,906153,458
Uruguay31:1,143,91935,564
Bangladesh21:79,678,38625,993
Kazakhstan21:8,841,248174,813
Aruba11:103,4772,586
Belize11:355,4743,977
Botswana11:2,186,92930,250
East Timor11:1,215,928507
Jordan11:8,842,43726,010
Kenya11:46,179,900103,372
Laos11:6,588,3231,961
Lebanon11:5,637,08332,436
Luxembourg11:580,54215,155
Malawi11:17,119,10934,144
Mauritius11:1,293,41716,552
Mozambique11:27,261,5697,432
Namibia11:2,409,40119,676
Puerto Rico11:3,550,1399,109
Romania11:20,077,87089,414
Seychelles11:92,3931,532
Swaziland11:1,298,1991,718
Tajikistan11:8,386,69212,859
Turkey11:77,821,422191,047
Ukraine11:45,522,696503,646
Vanuatu11:263,2762,086
Zambia11:15,849,92253,989
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland1341:33,0593,220
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England19,6081:1,243146
Scotland6021:6,218897
Wales851:18,4521,079
Jersey51:10,3761,795
Isle of Man21:27,1351,659
Guernsey11:32,6562,283
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States10,1681:4,939619

Whitehead (223) may also be a first name.

Whitehead Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from a nickname. 'with the whitehead,' a common sobriquet, as our records prove, especially in North England; compare Hoar. There is no evidence of a local origin, although Redhead and Blackett (Blackhead) are, like Greenhead, local occasionally. Modern instances are needless. The name exists wherever Englishmen settle.

Roger Witheyed, Huntingdonshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

William Witheyed, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Adam Whiteheued, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Johannes Whittehed, 1379: ibid.

Robertus Qwytheued, 1379: ibid.

John Whwiteheyed, Yorkshire: Fabric Rolls of York Minster: Wills and Inventories (Surtees Society).

Rauf Whytehed, Yorkshire Testamenta Eboracensia (Surtees Society).

1745. Married — Owen Whitehead to Mary Russel: St. Michael, Cornhill.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

"Fair or white haired." Adam Whytehevde de Hoton, juror on inquisition before the sheriff of Berwick, 1300 (Bain, II, 1178). Henry Quhitehede, burgess of Edinburgh, 1423 (Egidii, p. 46). Andrew Quhytheide was vicar of Lownane in 1485 (RAA., II, 268), and another Andrew Quhithede or Quhittat was rector of Aldcathy, 1523—4 (Scon, p. 202-3). Philip Quhithede was fined for disturbance in Aberdeen, 1492 (CRA., I, p. 421), and another Philip Quhitehede or Quhithed was chamberlain of Linlithgow and a witness in 1557 (ER., XIX, p. 30; Johnsoun). A family of Whitehead of Park flourished in West Lothian in 1585, and Philip Whitehead, sheriff depute of Linlitngow, sat in the Scottish Parliament, 1585 (APS., III, p. 373). Matthew Weitheid or Weitheit, 1575, or Weitheit, 1577, or Weitit, 1581, appears in Dunfermline (Dunfermline). John Whythead at Greatcorse of St. Mary's Isle, 1686 (Kirkcudbright), and George Whitehead was tenant in Lochrig, 1845 (Heirs, 831). Quhitheid 1526, Quhytheid 1585, Quhythed 1466.

The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

(English) 1 With a White Head; White-haired, Fair-haired [Old English hwít + heáfod] Adam Whiteheved.—Yorks Poll-Tax, A.D. 1379.

2 (occasionally) Dweller at the White Head or Top (of field, &c.) Cp. Blackhead and Greenhead.

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

This synonym of Canavan, q,v., is due to a mistranslation. MIF 48

A Guide to Irish Names (1964) by Edward MacLysaght

(English) One with a white head, i.e., white hair.

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

1. This common surname is doubtless derived from the hoary locks of its original bearer. The Annals of the Four Masters mention an Irishman of distinction who was known as "Colgan of the White Head," from this personal peculiarity. The French Blancheteste is synonymous. 2. Local: "the white promontory."

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

Gray haired.

The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames (1862) by Clifford Stanley Sims (1839-1896)

From the Frisian, Withard; a personal name.

British Family Names: Their Origin and Meaning (1903) by Henry Barber

Whitehead Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Whitehead Come From? nationality or country of origin

The last name Whitehead (Arabic: وايتهد) is more commonly found in The United States than any other country/territory. It may also be found as:. For other possible spellings of Whitehead click here.

How Common Is The Last Name Whitehead? popularity and diffusion

The surname is the 5,271st most widely held last name world-wide It is held by approximately 1 in 67,742 people. This last name occurs mostly in The Americas, where 59 percent of Whitehead live; 58 percent live in North America and 58 percent live in Anglo-North America. It is also the 603,623rd most widespread first name on earth, held by 223 people.

This surname is most numerous in The United States, where it is held by 57,730 people, or 1 in 6,279. In The United States Whitehead is most numerous in: Texas, where 10 percent are found, Georgia, where 8 percent are found and Florida, where 6 percent are found. Outside of The United States it occurs in 101 countries. It is also common in England, where 26 percent are found and Australia, where 8 percent are found.

Whitehead Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The frequency of Whitehead has changed through the years. In The United States the number of people who held the Whitehead last name rose 568 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it rose 144 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it rose 140 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it rose 955 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it rose 127 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Whitehead Last Name Statistics demography

The religious adherence of those holding the Whitehead last name is principally Anglican (52%) in Ireland.

In The United States those bearing the Whitehead last name are 12.31% more likely to be registered Republicans than the national average, with 59.08% being registered with the political party.

The amount Whitehead earn in different countries varies greatly. In Norway they earn 62.04% more than the national average, earning 560,776 kr per year; in Peru they earn 205.31% more than the national average, earning S/. 59,184 per year; in South Africa they earn 69.26% more than the national average, earning R 402,216 per year; in United States they earn 4.86% less than the national average, earning $41,050 USD per year and in Canada they earn 2.25% more than the national average, earning $50,800 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

Whitehead Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Whitehead in the Arabic language
وايتهدwaythd-

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Whitehead
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis