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Whitton Family History

Whitton Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from Whitton in Morebattle (Roxburghshire). The placename is from Old English hwīt ‘white’ + tūn ‘farm village’ as with many of the places in 2 below.

English: habitational name from any of the places called Whitton (Durham, Lincolnshire, Middlesex, Northumberland, Shropshire, Suffolk) or Witton (Cheshire, Durham, Lancashire, Herefordshire, Norfolk, Northumberland, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, North Yorkshire); or possibly from Wyton (Huntingdonshire, East Yorkshire); or possibly from Weeton, Market Weighton, or Little Weighton (East Yorkshire).

The placenames do not all share the same etymology but most of their post-medieval spellings are interchangeable. Most of the placenames derive from the Old English personal name Hwīta or Old English hwīt ‘white’ + tūn ‘farmstead estate’ though some, for example Witton in Warwickshire, derive from Old English wīc ‘dwelling specialized farmstead’ + tūn and some others, for example Witton in Norfolk, derive from Old English widu ‘wood’ + tūn.

Whitton in Lincolnshire derives from the Old English personal name Hwīta (genitive Hwītan) or Old English hwīt (dative hwītan) + ēg ‘island’. Witton in Lancashire derives from the Old English personal Witta + Old English tūn.

English: in Devon, this surname is a variant of Whiddon.

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


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Where is the Whitton family from?

You can see how Whitton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whitton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whitton families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 339 Whitton families living in Yorkshire. This was about 21% of all the recorded Whitton's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Whitton families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whitton 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 Whitton 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 Whitton. 11% of Whitton men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Whitton women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whitton were Coal Hewer Heavy Worker and Private Means.

View Census Data for Whitton | 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%
  • Farm Labourer
    5%
  • General Farm Labourer
    4%
  • Coal Hewer Heavy Worker
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Whitton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 58,000 census records available for the last name Whitton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whitton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Whitton. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Whitton. For the veterans among your Whitton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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