Explore the Family Name Whitter
The meaning of Whitter
English (Lancashire and Cheshire): occupational name for a whitewasher, caulker, or bleacher, from Middle English whiter(e), an agent derivative of Old English hwītian ‘to whiten’. Corfe Castle (Dorset) was whitewashed outside, and the many references to white buildings in surnames (e.g. Whitehouse and Whitchurch) testify to the practice.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Whitter in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Whitter has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Whitter was ranked 39,111 but by 2010, it had slipped to a ranking of 41,038 - a change of -4.93%. Interestingly, despite its drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the surname Whitter increased marginally from 530 to 531 during the same period, a growth rate of 0.19%. However, when considering the proportion per 100k people, there was a decrease of -10.0% over those ten years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #39,111 | #41,038 | -4.93% |
| Count | 530 | 531 | 0.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.2 | 0.18 | -10% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Whitter
In terms of ethnic identity, the table shows some changes between 2000 and 2010 based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of people with the Whitter surname identifying as White decreased from 56.98% to 49.53%, a change of -13.07%. Meanwhile, the proportion identifying as Black rose from 35.85% to 42.00%, an increase of 17.15%. The percentage identifying with two or more races also saw an increase, moving up from 2.08% in 2000 to 2.82% in 2010, a growth of 35.58%. Those identifying as Hispanic saw a small decrease of -8.99%. No people with the surname Whitter identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 56.98% | 49.53% | -13.07% |
| Black | 35.85% | 42% | 17.15% |
| Hispanic | 4.34% | 3.95% | -8.99% |
| Two or More Races | 2.08% | 2.82% | 35.58% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |