Explore the Family Name Whitfield
The meaning of Whitfield
English: habitational name from any of various places called Whitfield, for example in Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Kent, Northamptonshire, and Northumberland, or Whitefield in Lancashire and the Isle of Wight, named with Old English hwīt ‘white’ + feld ‘open country’, probably because of their chalky soil. History: Henry Whitfield (1597–c.1657), preacher and scholar, came from Mortlake, Surrey, England (now part of Greater London) to New Haven, CT, in 1639 and was one of the first settlers in Guilford, CT. He had ten children, some of whom he left in CT when he returned to England in 1650, where he died.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Whitfield in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Whitfield saw minor fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Whitfield ranked as the 1125th most popular surname, but it dropped slightly to the 1171st position in 2010, indicating a decrease of 4.09%. Despite this decline in rank, the actual count of individuals with this surname rose by 5.22%, from 28,475 in 2000 to 29,962 in 2010. This resulted in a slight decrease of -3.79% in the proportion per 100k from 10.56 to 10.16.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,125 | #1,171 | -4.09% |
| Count | 28,475 | 29,962 | 5.22% |
| Proportion per 100k | 10.56 | 10.16 | -3.79% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Whitfield
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides detailed information regarding the ethnic identity associated with the Whitfield surname. Between 2000 and 2010, the ethnicity identified as Black experienced an increase, moving from 48.65% to 49.68%. White-identifying individuals represented the second largest group, though their percentage decreased slightly from 47.14% to 44.52%. Increases were seen among Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.33% to 0.38%) and Hispanic groups (from 1.19% to 1.94%). Furthermore, those identifying with two or more races also saw a significant increase from 2.21% to 3.02%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native population saw a small decrease from 0.48% to 0.46%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 48.65% | 49.68% | 2.12% |
| White | 47.14% | 44.52% | -5.56% |
| Two or More Races | 2.21% | 3.02% | 36.65% |
| Hispanic | 1.19% | 1.94% | 63.03% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.48% | 0.46% | -4.17% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.33% | 0.38% | 15.15% |
Whitfield 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 Whitfield is British & Irish, which comprises 53.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (16.3%) and Nigerian (8.1%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Angolan & Congolese, Italian, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.3% |
| French & German | 16.3% |
| Nigerian | 8.1% |
| Other | 22.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Whitfield
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 Whitfield have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 75.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 75.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 75.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 74.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 74.70% |
What Whitfield 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 Whitfield is I-CTS6433, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-CTS6433 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include E-P252 and G-PF3359, which are predominantly found among people with Sub-Saharan African and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Collier, Francis, Banks, Hines, Thompson, Johnson, Robinson, Greene, Brown, Jackson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Whitfield surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your 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 Whitfield 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.
"Whitfield" Surname 38.2%
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.
"Whitfield" Surname 39.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Whitfield" Surname 23.7%
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.
"Whitfield" Surname 15.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Whitfield?
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 Whitfield are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition