Explore the Family Name Whitehurst
The meaning of Whitehurst
English (Staffordshire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire): habitational name from Whitehurst in Dilhorne (Staffordshire), named with Old English hwīt ‘white’ + hyrst ‘wood’, and sometimes from some other place with the same origin, such as Whithurst in Kirdford (Sussex).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Whitehurst in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Whitehurst has seen a minor decline in recent years. In the year 2000, Whitehurst ranked 4,490 in terms of popularity and this slipped to 4,774 by 2010, translating to a change of -6.33%. However, despite the drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the surname Whitehurst increased from 7,268 in 2000 to 7,412 in 2010, an increase of 1.98%. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a decrease from 2.69 in 2000 to 2.51 in 2010, indicating a change of -6.69%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,490 | #4,774 | -6.33% |
| Count | 7,268 | 7,412 | 1.98% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.69 | 2.51 | -6.69% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Whitehurst
Regarding ethnic identity, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, there have been some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders with the surname Whitehurst rose from 0.26% to 0.36%, a change of 38.46%. Those identifying as two or more races increased from 1.38% to 1.88%, an increase of 36.23%. White individuals with the surname saw a slight decrease from 70.80% to 68.21%, a change of -3.66%. Hispanics with the surname Whitehurst increased from 1.24% to 1.94%, a change of 56.45%. Black individuals increased their representation from 25.91% to 27.15%, a change of 4.79%. Lastly, American Indian and Alaskan Natives saw an increase from 0.41% to 0.46%, a rise of 12.20%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 70.8% | 68.21% | -3.66% |
| Black | 25.91% | 27.15% | 4.79% |
| Hispanic | 1.24% | 1.94% | 56.45% |
| Two or More Races | 1.38% | 1.88% | 36.23% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.41% | 0.46% | 12.2% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.26% | 0.36% | 38.46% |
Whitehurst ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Whitehurst is British & Irish, which comprises 53.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.6%) and Nigerian (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Eastern European.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.2% |
| French & German | 21.6% |
| Nigerian | 4.5% |
| Other | 20.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Whitehurst
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Whitehurst have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
What Whitehurst haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Whitehurst is I-Z60, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Z60 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-Z381 and I-M253, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Friesen, Hitt, Priddy, Sigmon, Brumley, Shively, Grider, Leighton, Head, Bent.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Whitehurst surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Alexander Hamilton
Early in the morning on July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr (then Vice President of the United States) and Alexander Hamilton (founder of the U.S. Treasury) dueled on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. This marked the culmination of a bitter personal and political rivalry between the two men. Alexander Hamilton died as a result of the duel, but his intellectual legacy survives in the founding documents of the nation he helped build. A piece of his genetic legacy survives as well: in the 21st century, genealogists documented the paternal haplogroups of dozens of Hamilton's living descendants and concluded that the Founding Father's paternal haplogroup was a branch of I-DF29.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Whitehurst have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Whitehurst" Surname 50.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Whitehurst" Surname 18.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Whitehurst" Surname 15.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Whitehurst" Surname 19.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Whitehurst?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Whitehurst are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition