Explore the Family Name Whiteside

The meaning of Whiteside

English and Scottish: nickname from Middle English white ‘white’ + side ‘side, flank’ (Old English hwīt + sīde), perhaps referring to one who habitually wore white clothes (compare Greenside). The name may also be habitational, from any of several places called Whiteside in southwestern Scotland and Northumberland, probably named with Old English hwīt ‘white’ + sīde ‘slope, hill’. The surname was very strong in central Lancashire in the late 16th century, and it may also derive from an unidentified place in this area. The name is now common in Ireland (Antrim and Down).

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

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

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Whiteside has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Ranked at 3,026 in 2000, it slipped to 3,191 in 2010, a decline of 5.45%. However, the count of people with the surname increased by 3.21% during the same period, from 10,981 to 11,334. The proportion per 100,000 population also decreased slightly from 4.07 to 3.84, indicating that while the Whiteside population grew, it did not keep pace with the overall growth of the U.S. population.

20002010Change
Rank#3,026#3,191-5.45%
Count10,98111,3343.21%
Proportion per 100k4.073.84-5.65%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Whiteside

The ethnicity associated with the surname Whiteside showed some fluctuation based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, 65.90% identified as White, decreasing slightly to 64.22% in 2010. Black identification remained relatively stable, with a small decrease from 29.53% to 29.37%. Meanwhile, the percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased significantly from 0.43% to 0.63%, and those reporting two or more races rose from 1.78% to 2.78%. The Hispanic population with this surname also saw an increase from 1.92% to 2.61%. American Indian and Alaskan Native representation saw a slight decrease from 0.43% to 0.39%.

20002010Change
White65.9%64.22%-2.55%
Black29.53%29.37%-0.54%
Two or More Races1.78%2.78%56.18%
Hispanic1.92%2.61%35.94%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.43%0.63%46.51%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.43%0.39%-9.3%

Whiteside 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 Whiteside is British & Irish, which comprises 57.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.1%) and Eastern European (3.3%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Nigerian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish57.4%
French & German20.1%
Eastern European3.3%
Other19.2%
Whiteside

Possible origins of the surname Whiteside

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 Whiteside have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Merseyside, United Kingdom87.10%
Greater London, United Kingdom87.10%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom87.10%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom86.70%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom86.70%

What Whiteside 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 Whiteside is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L51 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Fortin, Aldrich, Jewett, Landry, Duvall, Blanton, Mattingly, Hebert, Haskell, Hazen.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Whiteside surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

whitesidePaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Whiteside 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

Whiteside

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Whiteside" Surname 38.7%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Whiteside

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Whiteside" Surname 24.4%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Whiteside

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Whiteside" Surname 21.1%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Whiteside

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Whiteside" Surname 16.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Whiteside?

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 Whiteside are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%