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Whittingham Family History

Whittingham Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of the places called Whittingham (in Lancashire and Northumberland) Little Whittingham now Little Whittingham Green (Suffolk) or less likely Whittinghame (East Lothian). The placenames probably mean ‘the homestead of the people of a man called Hwīta or Witta’ from the Old English personal name Hwīta (or Witta in the Suffolk name) + the Old English group name suffix -ingas (genitive -inga-) + hām ‘village homestead’.

The name may also derive from Wittenham (Berkshire) which is named from the Old English personal name Witta (genitive Wittan) + Old English hamm ‘water meadow’. This surname is also found in Wales.

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


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Where is the Whittingham family from?

You can see how Whittingham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whittingham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whittingham families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 553 Whittingham families living in Lancashire. This was about 19% of all the recorded Whittingham's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Whittingham families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whittingham 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 Whittingham 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 Whittingham. 11% of Whittingham men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Whittingham women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whittingham were Retired and Unpaid Domestic Duti.

View Census Data for Whittingham | 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%
  • Dairy Farmer
    7%
  • Farmer
    5%
  • Retired
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    2%

What Whittingham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 44,000 census records available for the last name Whittingham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whittingham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Whittingham

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Whittingham. 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 Whittingham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Whittingham. For the veterans among your Whittingham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Whittingham military records

You've only scratched the surface of Whittingham family history

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What is the average Whittingham lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Whittingham life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1976, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Whittingham in 1962 was 79, and 64 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Whittingham

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Whittingham 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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