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Whitman Family History

Whitman Surname Meaning

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.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Whitman family from?

You can see how Whitman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whitman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whitman families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 186 Whitman families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Whitman's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Whitman families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whitman 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 Whitman ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Whitman. 13% of Whitman men worked as a Builders Labourer and 81% of Whitman women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whitman were Woollen Weaver and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Whitman | 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

  • Builders Labourer
    13%
  • Farmworker
    11%
  • General Labourer
    9%
  • Woollen Weaver
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    81%
  • Housekeeper
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Whitman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 131,000 census records available for the last name Whitman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whitman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Whitman

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Whitman. 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 Whitman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 25,000 military records available for the last name Whitman. For the veterans among your Whitman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Whitman military records

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