Explore the Family Name Whyte

The meaning of Whyte

Scottish (central Scotland): variant of White. This form of the surname is common mainly in Ireland and Scotland.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Whyte has seen a growth in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 5112 out of all surnames within the United States, but by 2010, it climbed to the 4609 position, reflecting a 9.84% increase. The count of individuals with the Whyte surname also rose significantly during this period, from 6298 to 7701, marking a 22.28% upsurge. This resulted in a per 100K proportion increase from 2.33 to 2.61, indicating that more residents in the U.S. had the Whyte surname.

20002010Change
Rank#5,112#4,6099.84%
Count6,2987,70122.28%
Proportion per 100k2.332.6112.02%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Whyte

The Decennial U.S. Census data about the ethnic identity attached to the surname Whyte between 2000 and 2010 reveals interesting dynamics. Those identifying as White with the surname Whyte decreased from 61.45% to 52.58%, while Black representation increased from 32.38% to 40.22%. Hispanic identification also saw a significant jump, going from 2.38% to 3.39%. Meanwhile, representation among those who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native both fell, with the former dropping from 0.79% to 0.66% and the latter from 1.00% to 0.74%. Interestingly, people with the Whyte surname who identified as belonging to two or more races increased by 21.00%, moving from 2.00% to 2.42% over the decade.

20002010Change
White61.45%52.58%-14.43%
Black32.38%40.22%24.21%
Hispanic2.38%3.39%42.44%
Two or More Races2%2.42%21%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1%0.74%-26%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.79%0.66%-16.46%

Whyte 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 Whyte is British & Irish, which comprises 61.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (13.9%) and Nigerian (5.4%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Italian, Scandinavian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish61.6%
French & German13.9%
Nigerian5.4%
Other19.1%
Whyte

Possible origins of the surname Whyte

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 Whyte have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom80.70%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom80.70%
Merseyside, United Kingdom80.30%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom80.30%
West Midlands, United Kingdom80.30%

What Whyte 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 Whyte is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L48 and I-M253, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Morgan, Simms, Phillips, Lloyd, Price, Jeffery, Walsh, Jones, Morris, Barnes.

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

whytePaternal 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 Whyte 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

Whyte

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Whyte" Surname 45.2%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Whyte

Misophonia

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

"Whyte" Surname 31.5%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Whyte

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Whyte" Surname 23.8%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Whyte

Migraine

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

"Whyte" Surname 23.3%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Whyte?

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 Whyte 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%