Explore the Family Name Whitman
The meaning of Whitman
English (southern): from the Middle English personal name Whytman (Old English Hwītmann, from hwīt ‘white’ + mann ‘man’). Compare White 1 and also Wightman, with which this surname was probably confused. History: John Whitman settled in Weymouth, MA, c.1638. The poet Walt Whitman (1819–92) was descended from Joseph Whitman, who had settled in Stratford, CT, from England around 1660.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Whitman in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Whitman has slightly declined between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Whitman ranked as the 1,656th most common last name in the United States; however, by 2010 it had dropped to the 1,851st spot, reflecting a decrease of approximately 11.78%. The count of people bearing the surname also fell slightly during this period, from 19,827 to 19,399, marking a decline of about 2.16%. Consequently, the proportion of the population with the surname Whitman per 100,000 people decreased by roughly 10.48%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,656 | #1,851 | -11.78% |
| Count | 19,827 | 19,399 | -2.16% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.35 | 6.58 | -10.48% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Whitman
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Whitman, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting shifts from 2000 to 2010. The predominant ethnicity identified was White, which saw a slight decrease from 90.56% in 2000 to 89.26% in 2010. Conversely, the proportions of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or having two or more races increased by 33.33% and 24.09% respectively. Similarly, those identifying as Hispanic saw a rise of around 47.06%. Those identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native underwent marginal changes, with the former seeing a negligible drop of 1.17% and the latter experiencing a minor increase of 3.23%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.56% | 89.26% | -1.44% |
| Black | 4.28% | 4.23% | -1.17% |
| Hispanic | 1.7% | 2.5% | 47.06% |
| Two or More Races | 1.37% | 1.7% | 24.09% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.55% | 1.6% | 3.23% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.54% | 0.72% | 33.33% |
Whitman 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 Whitman is British & Irish, which comprises 45.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (28.0%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (6.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 45.8% |
| French & German | 28.0% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 6.3% |
| Other | 19.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Whitman
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 Whitman have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.40% |
What Whitman 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 Whitman 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-L2 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Michel, Kuhn, Robert, Scherer, Bowers, Braun, Nash, Freeman, Wilkins, Winters.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Whitman surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Whitman 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.
"Whitman" Surname 45.2%
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.
"Whitman" Surname 27.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Whitman" Surname 22.1%
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.
"Whitman" Surname 18.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Whitman?
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 Whitman are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition