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Whitby Family History

Whitby Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Whitby, a port in North Yorkshire, or from Whitby in Cheshire. The North Yorkshire placename probably derives from the Old Norse personal name Hvíti or Old Norse hvítr ‘white’ + bý ‘farmstead, village’.

The Cheshire placename derives from Old English hwīt ‘white’ + burg ‘fortress’, later replaced by Old Norse bý.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Whitby family from?

You can see how Whitby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whitby family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whitby families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 221 Whitby families living in Cheshire. This was about 13% of all the recorded Whitby's in United Kingdom. Cheshire had the highest population of Whitby families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whitby surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Whitby ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Whitby. 11% of Whitby men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Whitby women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whitby were Builders Labourer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Whitby | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    11%
  • Bricklayer
    6%
  • Farm Labourer
    5%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Whitby family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 49,000 census records available for the last name Whitby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whitby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Whitby

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Whitby. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Whitby immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Whitby. For the veterans among your Whitby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Whitby military records

You've only scratched the surface of Whitby family history

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What is the average Whitby lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Whitby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Whitby in 1950 was 47, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Whitby

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Whitby ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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