920,140 WHITE members around the world

WHITE Family History

Family spelling variants include Whyte, Whites, Whitt, Whitta, Witte, Witt, Witts, Wythe.

There are approximately 920,140 White family members around the world. In general you can double this figure to include those related to the White names to allow for those connected to the name through maiden name connections.

It is estimated that the largest group of White family members live USA with 660,491 (71.8%) members, England with 98,791 (10.7%), Canada with 52,381 (5.7%), Australia with 51,916 (5.6%), South Africa with 27,122 (2.9%), Ireland with 9,513 (1%), Scotland with 8,191 (0.9%), New Zealand with 6,565 (0.7%) and Wales with 5,170 (0.6%) members.

An English nickname from Middle English white, wit, from an Old English byname hw?t ‘white’, referring to fair hair or pale complexion. 

An English locative name for someone who lived by a bend or curve in a river or road (Old English *wiht ‘bend’), the source of the name of Great Whyte (Ramsey, Hunts).

Early bearers of the surname include: þurcil Hwita, Wite, Wita, 1038, 1086 in Tengvik (Herefs); Ordgar se Wite, about 1070 in Tengvik (Somerset); Alestanus hwit, 1086 in Winton Domesday (Hants); Alwin Wit, 1086 in Domesday Book (Hants); Uuiaett Hwite, about 1097–1107 in Black; Lewinus Wite, about 1114 in Burton Chartulary (Staffs); Hugo Wit, 1190 in Bury Saint Edmunds Kalendar (Suffolk); Thomas White, 1538 in IGI (Houghton Regis, Beds); Willmi Whyte, 1539 in IGI (Awre with Blakeney, Gloucs); George White, 1569 in IGI (Perth, Perths); Margaret Whites, 1676 in IGI (Exhall near Coventry, Warwicks).

John White, an English convict from Kent, was transported aboard the “William Jardine” ship on 10 August 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia. 

In 1891 census, there were 94,312 occurrences in England and Wales and a further 8,939 in Scotland.

In 1881, the surname was widespread across England. In the South of England, Kent was a top county for the surname with 3,926 occurrences. It was a top surname for the Upper Hardres district near the city of Canterbury.

In 1881, Agricultural Labourer, Labourer and Farmer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by White in the UK. The most common White occupation in the UK was Agricultural Labourer and a less common occupation was Coal Miner. 

Edward Higgins White (1930-1967) U.S. astronaut and test pilot. He was the first American to walk in space, on 3rd June 1965. He tragically died during a pre-launch test for the first manned Apollo Mission.

1881, 1891 Census

1881 Census in Kent

Dictionary of American Family Homes, P Hanks OUP 2003

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain, H.B. Guppy, London 1890

The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, P.Hanks, Coats, McClure OUP 2016

1860 Lower, Mark A Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom, London: J.R Smith. Public Domain

1857 Arthur, William An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain

https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/william-jardine/1844

J.M.P