Explore the Family Name Whittington
The meaning of Whittington
English: habitational name from any of a large number of places called Whittington, for example in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. Most of these places are named with the Old English personal name Hwīta + Old English connective -ing- + tūn ‘farmstead, estate’, meaning ‘Hwīta’s settlement’ or ‘settlement associated with Hwīta’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Whittington in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Whittington saw a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Whittington was ranked 1,924th most common surname in the U.S., but by 2010 it dropped to the 2,059th spot, representing a decrease of 7.02%. However, despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the Whittington surname increased by 2.06% from 17,163 in 2000 to 17,517 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 also decreased by 6.6%, going from 6.36 in 2000 to 5.94 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,924 | #2,059 | -7.02% |
| Count | 17,163 | 17,517 | 2.06% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.36 | 5.94 | -6.6% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Whittington
When looking at the ethnic identity of those with the Whittington surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts between 2000 and 2010. Whittington individuals identifying as White made up the largest group, although the percentage decreased slightly from 81.62% in 2000 to 79.92% in 2010. Those identifying as Black made up the second-largest group with a small increase from 14.54% in 2000 to 14.92% in 2010. Significant growth was seen among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, which increased by 88.46%, albeit from a smaller base, and Hispanic, which grew by 49.64%. Additionally, individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native slightly increased by 5.56%, while those identifying with two or more races grew by 23.03%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 81.62% | 79.92% | -2.08% |
| Black | 14.54% | 14.92% | 2.61% |
| Hispanic | 1.39% | 2.08% | 49.64% |
| Two or More Races | 1.65% | 2.03% | 23.03% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.54% | 0.57% | 5.56% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.26% | 0.49% | 88.46% |
Whittington 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 Whittington is British & Irish, which comprises 60.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.8%) and Scandinavian (2.7%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 60.0% |
| French & German | 21.8% |
| Scandinavian | 2.7% |
| Other | 15.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Whittington
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 Whittington have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 90.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 90.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.00% |
What Whittington 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 Whittington is R-Z278, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z278 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include G-Z726 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ayers, Peacock, Elkins, Colon, Crowder, Stokes, Maestas, Ayres, Oates, Burnette.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Whittington 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 Whittington 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.
"Whittington" Surname 44.4%
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.
"Whittington" Surname 33.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Whittington" Surname 22.0%
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.
"Whittington" Surname 20.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Whittington?
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 Whittington are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition