White is used as a family name or surname in Scotland, Ireland, England. It is 5 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: White
No. of characters: 5
Origin: Scotland, Ireland, England
Meaning:

The family name is a variation of Weightman. See Waithman, and Wightman - A hunter. Teutoni, weyd-man, venator, auceps.

Variant of the Whyte. Variant of White meaning "the light or fair-complexioned person".

The light or fair-complexioned person, or one with white hair; descendant of Hwita meaning "white".

The family name is the variation of Wight. One who came from the Isle of Wight, i.e., that which has been raised, part of the former county of Hampshire.

Of light or fair complexion, corresponding with the French Le Blond, the Gaelic Bane, the Ital. Biondi, the Dutch De Witt, the Germ. Weiss, and the old classical Candidus, Chlorus, etc. The London Direct. shews almost 300 traders of this name. In the Hundred Rolls it is latinized Albus.

J. Yonge Akerman, Esq., late Sec. S. A., has suggested to me, that the name is far too common to allow of the supposition that it is derived solely from complexion, especially since the antithetical Black bears no proportion for numerousness—occurring in the above-mentioned repertory of names in the proportion of only one to ten. The Browns might be called in as allies of the Blacks, when the scale would be turned in favour of the dark complexion; According to historian Akerman, the name White is sometimes derived, not from Anglo-Saxon hnit (albus), but from huita, a sharpener, swordsmith, or armourer, and one Thurcil Hwita, mentioned in a document of the time of Canute (Codex Dipl.), might be cited on that side, as well as in proof of the great antiquity of the surname. Nisbet says: "As for the antiquity of the name, Sir James Dalrymple observes one Viniet Albus, witness in a charter of King Edgar to the church of Durham, who perhaps may be the first of the surname of White."

White is a variant of Whyte. The Scottish form of White. The Whytes, anciently free barons in the shires of Fife, Perth, etc., are said to have sprung from the noble family of Le Blanc in France. B.L.G.

A form of the Wight. 1. The Anglo-Saxon wiht means a man, a creature, anything; and the Old English, night, still retained in the phrase "luckless wight," has a similar signification. Another and more usual meaning of the word, is swift or active, as in the illustrative quotation of Haliwell:
"Y schalle gyf the two greyhowndys,
As wyght as any roo"
- that is, "as swift as any roe." The Scottish form of the word is nicht, which Historian Jamieson defines as, strong, powerful, active, clever; denoting strength of mind, or fertility of invention. 2. The Isle of Wight may possibly put in a claim in some cases.

How popular is White?

White is common in United States, England, Australia, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand, Wales, Northern Ireland, Zimbabwe, Thailand, France, Liberia, Nigeria, Spain, Germany, Barbados, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Tanzania, China, Philippines, Brazil, Dominican Republic, India, Bahamas, Argentina, Morocco, Mexico, Nicaragua, Malawi, Fiji, Japan, Chile, Portugal, Belize, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Belgium, Vanuatu, Switzerland, Botswana, Bermuda, Sweden, Italy, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, French Polynesia, Kenya, Egypt, Malaysia, Antigua and Barbuda, Denmark, Israel, Jersey, United States Virgin Islands, Guyana, Norway, Swaziland, Malta, Iraq, Isle of Man, Oman, Colombia, Guam, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Venezuela, Cayman Islands, Papua New Guinea.

White is ranked 433 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of White bearers increased by 3.28 per cent in 2010 US census to 660491 since 2000, the surname slipped by 4 spots and ranked at 24. The last name was found in around 2 per thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 65.51 67.91
Black 28.17 27.38
White is quite popular family name mostly used in United States while Montserrat is ahead in terms of density. Around 1186244 people have been found who wears White as their family name. White is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with hundred thousands of White:
18 United States821,330
15 England149,521
Countries with ten thousands of White:
9 Australia64,439
21 Canada56,772
34 Jamaica13,924
549 South Africa12,753
65 Ireland10,238
66 Scotland10,137
Countries with thousands of White:
15 New Zealand6,311
38 Wales6,246
52 Northern Ireland4,093
589 Zimbabwe2,722
3,336 Thailand2,154
5,065 France1,637
411 Liberia1,391
9,641 Nigeria1,162
4,021 Spain1,118
Countries with hundreds of White:
10,422 Germany975
64 Barbados968
566 Panama784
359 Trinidad and Tobago647
8,535 Tanzania633
360 China632
27,191 Philippines609
14,051 Brazil582
1,270 Dominican Republic555
53,644 India550
143 Bahamas533
6,825 Argentina530
11,380 Morocco511
6,387 Mexico460
835 Nicaragua434
6,238 Malawi412
344 Fiji408
11,576 Japan393
2,192 Chile371
1,851 Portugal359
231 Belize351
8,424 Netherlands343
637 Costa Rica299
6,505 Belgium289
231 Vanuatu275
4,840 Switzerland250
1,624 Botswana243
25 Bermuda242
3,352 Sweden233
35,625 Italy224
1,165 Bahrain220
22,057 Saudi Arabia199
231 French Polynesia196
16,701 Kenya192
32,811 Egypt178
10,135 Malaysia178
94 Antigua and Barbuda176
3,342 Denmark175
6,766 Israel166
45 Jersey163
86 United States Virgin Islands163
839 Guyana160
4,715 Norway153
460 Swaziland152
229 Malta144
5,326 Iraq141
90 Isle of Man127
2,241 Oman124
6,417 Colombia119
190 Guam119
81,024 Indonesia117
1,203 Hong Kong112
6,618 Venezuela108
97 Cayman Islands104
10,659 Papua New Guinea101
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
18,809 Greece99
5 Montserrat97
6,828 Finland94
184 Dominica92
41,424 Iran91
1,700 Honduras87
7,666 Ecuador85
4,617 Uruguay85
146 Guernsey73
11,421 Ghana67
24,859 Czechia65
1,599 Cyprus64
4,188 Cuba59
7,566 Kuwait58
15,519 Hungary55
12,566 United Arab Emirates54
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
409 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines50
63,527 Poland48
2,242 Solomon Islands47
338 South Korea46
3,102 Suriname45
173 Northern Mariana Islands44
24,866 Austria43
8,756 Afghanistan37
2,252 Vietnam35
6,884 Singapore34
316 American Samoa33
22,215 Zambia32
755 Saint Lucia31
9,235 Estonia27
302 Gibraltar25
573 Micronesia25
669 Myanmar25
40,927 Pakistan24
9,138 Sri Lanka21
277 Curaçao19
14,725 Qatar19
8,385 Taiwan19
789 Aruba18
13,502 Bangladesh16
1,935 Iceland15
468 Saint Kitts and Nevis15
110,069 Turkey15
13,476 Georgia14
179 Monaco14
7,647 Syria14
78,087 Uganda14
313 British Virgin Islands12
54,815 Slovakia12
2,767 Puerto Rico11
53,941 Romania11
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
83,699 Kazakhstan10
30,046 Peru10
112,590 Cameroon9
36,710 Croatia9
14,059 Lebanon9
678 Sierra Leone9
152 Anguilla8
7,100 Cambodia8
1,058 Marshall Islands8
8,150 Sudan8
18,562 Azerbaijan7
3,076 Libya7
17,336 Slovenia7
6,967 Angola6
6,792 Guatemala6
16,589 Lesotho6
488 Macau6
3,603 Rwanda6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

Farmer Ann White from Great Britain aboard the Henrietta Mary from Liverpool during the Irish famine. She is registered to be 30 years old when she arrived in USA on May 15, 1846. Michael White (3 months old) Infant, Infant Mary White, Patrick White, aged 30, Henry White (50) Workman, Ellen White (20) Maid, Edwin White (24) Workman, John White, aged 24, 23 years old Michael White, and 1435 other White around 48.23% of whom were workman while others worked as servant and painter, spinster, weaver, mason, joiner, mechanic, clerk, servant, bonnet maker/ hatter, carpenter, gentleman, shoemaker, stone cutter, grocer, dressmaker, baker, seamstress, merchant, blacksmith, milliner, tailoress migrated to US from Liverpool, Dublin and Galway.

From Germany

28 years old cook Clara White who was residing in Prussia migrated to USA on April 19, 1853 by Wisconsin put out from London. 28 years old Clara White, Servant Anna White, Pat. White (16) Laborer, Servant Adele White, S. White, Farmer Edward White, Arthur-L. White, aged 21, Johanna White, and 36 other White majority of whom were laborer and others worked as farmer and spinster migrated to US from London, Cork & Liverpool, Hamburg, Hamburg & Southampton and Bremen.

White Namesakes

  • Joseph Blanco White, Spanish theologian and poet
  • Henry Kirke White, English poet
  • William A. White, Nova Scotian
  • Eric Wyndham White, British administrator and economist
  • Benjamin Franklin White, shape note "singing master"
  • William Lindsay White, was American journalist, foreign correspondent
  • Peregrine White, first
  • James Landrum White, shape note singing teacher, composer
  • David Patillo White, shape note singing teacher, composer
  • Leslie White, American anthropologist
  • Paul Dudley White, American physician and cardiologist, was
  • Richard Grant White,
  • Bruce White, KBE, FCGI, FICE
  • Ethel Lina White, British crime writer, best
  • Bryan D. White, younger son of George White and he joined the Loyal Order of Moose in Britain
  • Kelli White, American former sprinter
  • Phillips White, American farmer from South Hampton, New Hampshire
  • Cornelius White, former Arena Football League wide receiver/linebacker
  • Joel White, U.S. naval architect
  • William Arthur White, British diplomat
  • Hale White, British writer and civil servant
  • Monty White, British young Earth creationist and was formerly the Chief Executive of the UK branch of Answers
  • Jean White, founding pastor within the Metropolitan Community Church
  • Howard D. White, scientist
  • Frank G. White, American Army Major General
  • Harold Leslie White, Parliamentary Librarian of Australia
  • James Boyd White, American law professor, literary critic
  • Cleitus the White, officer of Alexander the Great surnamed "White" to distinguish him
  • Eg White, British musician, songwriter and producer
  • Edward Lucas White, American author and poet
  • Tim D. White, American paleoanthropologist and Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of California
  • Van Freeman White, politician from Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Sidney White, English first-class cricketer active 1921–33
  • Robert Howard White, New Zealand local-body politician
  • Isaac White, was born around 1756 in Prince William County
  • Joseph M. White, Delegate to the US House of Representatives
  • Miss Alex White, stage name for Alexandra Brooks White, a musician
  • Windsor T. White, American automobile developer
  • Kenneth White, Scottish poet, academic and writer
  • Randy Wayne White, American writer of crime fiction and non-fiction adventure tales
  • Jarobi White, American hip hop artist, chef, and a founding member of alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest
  • Leonard D. White, American historian
  • Gilbert White, "parson-naturalist"
  • Robert Michael White, White broke a number of records with the North American X-15 experimental aircraft during the 1960s
  • Hayden White, American historian
  • Barbara M. White, ambassador and president of Mills College
  • Gilbert F. White, prominent American geographer
  • Charles Abiathar White, American geologist, paleontologist
  • Harrison White, emeritus Giddings Professor of Sociology at Columbia University
  • Alvin S. White, American test pilot and mechanical engineer
  • E. B. White, contributor to 'The New Yorker' magazine
  • Patrick White, Australian writer who,
  • T. H. White, English author best
  • Ryan White, American teenager from Kokomo, Indiana,
  • Byron White, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
  • Barry White, American singer-songwriter, musician
  • Andrew Dickson White, American historian and educator
  • Great White, American hard rock band

White Namesakes

  • Joseph Blanco White, Spanish theologian and poet
  • Henry Kirke White, English poet
  • William A. White, Nova Scotian
  • Eric Wyndham White, British administrator and economist
  • Benjamin Franklin White, shape note "singing master"
  • William Lindsay White, was American journalist, foreign correspondent
  • Peregrine White, first
  • James Landrum White, shape note singing teacher, composer
  • David Patillo White, shape note singing teacher, composer
  • Leslie White, American anthropologist
  • Paul Dudley White, American physician and cardiologist, was
  • Richard Grant White,
  • Bruce White, KBE, FCGI, FICE
  • Ethel Lina White, British crime writer, best
  • Bryan D. White, younger son of George White and he joined the Loyal Order of Moose in Britain
  • Kelli White, American former sprinter
  • Phillips White, American farmer from South Hampton, New Hampshire
  • Cornelius White, former Arena Football League wide receiver/linebacker
  • Joel White, U.S. naval architect
  • William Arthur White, British diplomat
  • Hale White, British writer and civil servant
  • Monty White, British young Earth creationist and was formerly the Chief Executive of the UK branch of Answers
  • Jean White, founding pastor within the Metropolitan Community Church
  • Howard D. White, scientist
  • Frank G. White, American Army Major General
  • Harold Leslie White, Parliamentary Librarian of Australia
  • James Boyd White, American law professor, literary critic
  • Cleitus the White, officer of Alexander the Great surnamed "White" to distinguish him
  • Eg White, British musician, songwriter and producer
  • Edward Lucas White, American author and poet
  • Tim D. White, American paleoanthropologist and Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of California
  • Van Freeman White, politician from Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Sidney White, English first-class cricketer active 1921–33
  • Robert Howard White, New Zealand local-body politician
  • Isaac White, was born around 1756 in Prince William County
  • Joseph M. White, Delegate to the US House of Representatives
  • Miss Alex White, stage name for Alexandra Brooks White, a musician
  • Windsor T. White, American automobile developer
  • Kenneth White, Scottish poet, academic and writer
  • Randy Wayne White, American writer of crime fiction and non-fiction adventure tales
  • Jarobi White, American hip hop artist, chef, and a founding member of alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest
  • Leonard D. White, American historian
  • Gilbert White, "parson-naturalist"
  • Robert Michael White, White broke a number of records with the North American X-15 experimental aircraft during the 1960s
  • Hayden White, American historian
  • Barbara M. White, ambassador and president of Mills College
  • Gilbert F. White, prominent American geographer
  • Charles Abiathar White, American geologist, paleontologist
  • Harrison White, emeritus Giddings Professor of Sociology at Columbia University
  • Alvin S. White, American test pilot and mechanical engineer
  • E. B. White, contributor to 'The New Yorker' magazine
  • Patrick White, Australian writer who,
  • T. H. White, English author best
  • Ryan White, American teenager from Kokomo, Indiana,
  • Byron White, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
  • Barry White, American singer-songwriter, musician
  • Andrew Dickson White, American historian and educator
  • Great White, American hard rock band

Related Family Names: