Explore the Family Name While

The meaning of While

English (West Midlands): habitational name from Whyle (Herefordshire), which is of unexplained etymology.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name While in the United States?

Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "While" has seen a significant shift between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 81,700 in terms of popularity and this position declined to 103,655 by 2010, indicating a drop of approximately 26.87%. Similarly, the overall count of individuals with the surname "While" decreased from 215 in 2000 to 173 in 2010, marking a decrease of 19.53%. The proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 also saw a decline from 0.08% in 2000 to 0.06% in 2010, a change of about -25%.

20002010Change
Rank#81,700#103,655-26.87%
Count215173-19.53%
Proportion per 100k0.080.06-25%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name While

The information from the Decennial U.S. Census also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname "While". In 2000, around 76.28% of those carrying the surname identified as White, a number that slightly dipped to 75.72% by 2010. Additionally, a small percentage (18.60%) identified as Black in 2000, but this number fell to 16.18% in 2010. An interesting change occurred within the Hispanic community where no individuals were recorded with the surname "While" in 2000, but by 2010, it accounted for 4.62% of individuals bearing the name. There were no recorded instances of the surname within the Asian/Pacific Islander, those identifying with two or more races, or American Indian and Alaskan Native communities during both census years.

20002010Change
White76.28%75.72%-0.73%
Black18.6%16.18%-13.01%
Hispanic0%4.62%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%