Explore the Family Name Whiston
The meaning of Whiston
English (North and West Midlands): habitational name from any of various places called Whiston (in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, and two places in Staffordshire), or from Wiston in Sussex. The Yorkshire and Lancashire placenames derive from Old English hwīt ‘white’ + stān ‘stone’; Whiston near Cheadle (Staffordshire) has the same etymology. Whiston near Penkridge (Staffordshire) derives from an Old English personal name Witi (genitive Wites) + Old English tūn ‘farmstead, estate’. The Northamptonshire placename derives from the Old English tribal name Hwicce (genitive Hwiccena) + tūn, or perhaps from an Old English personal name Hwicca + Old English connective -ing- + tūn. The Sussex placename derives from the Old English personal name Wīgstan (genitive Wīgstanes) + tūn. Sometimes this name is a variant of Whitestone.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Whiston in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Whiston has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 49,366 in popularity with 400 recorded instances, translating to 0.15 per 100,000 people. By 2010, its rank had dipped to 55,255 with 372 occurrences, representing a proportion of 0.13 per 100,000 people. This represents an approximately 12% decline in ranking and a 7% decrease in count over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #49,366 | #55,255 | -11.93% |
| Count | 400 | 372 | -7% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.15 | 0.13 | -13.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Whiston
When we look at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Whiston, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts between 2000 and 2010. Firstly, the overwhelming majority of Whistons identified as White in both years, albeit there was a small decrease from 97% in 2000 to 93.28% in 2010. The Hispanic representation within this surname increased by over 100%, going from 2% in 2000 to 4.03% in 2010. A new addition in 2010 was the introduction of Asian/Pacific Islander Whistons, accounting for 1.61% of the total. However, there were no changes in the percentages of those identifying as Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native, or belonging to two or more races.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97% | 93.28% | -3.84% |
| Hispanic | 2% | 4.03% | 101.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 1.61% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |