Surname Whitehead - Meaning and Origin

Unveiling the Whitehead Lineage: A Personal Insight into Genetic Genealogy Through iGENEA DNA Test Results

DNA testing at iGENEA involves a blend of autosomal, Y-DNA, and mtDNA tests, revealing rich and insightful data about one's ancestry. The tests illuminated my ancestral origins, particularly offering an enlightened perspective on my Whitehead surname, pointing towards its British roots.

F. Whitehead

Whitehead: What does the surname Whitehead mean?

The last name Whitehead originated from an English habitational name, derived from a house distinguished by the sign of a white head — probably so-named from the Old English ‘hwit,’ meaning ‘white’, and ‘heafod’, meaning ‘head’; the name would have denoted a person who lived at or near such a house. The surname Whitehead was first found in Essex, Suffolk, and Yorkshire where they had granted lands by Duke William of Normandy for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The earliest record of the name was of one Gregges Whitheved in the Subsidy Rolls of the county of Kent in the year 1327.

Throughout history, the Whitehead name has been associated with many influential branches of British society. Notable people with the Whitehead surname include famous British poet Thomas Whitehead; British sportsman Wilf Whitehead; and Howard Whitehead, who was an activist in the National Union of Mine Workers in the 19th century.

The Whitehead family have a long and proud history of service and dedication to their communities, with many Whiteheads playing a vital role in the development of British culture. Today, the Whitehead surname can be found all over the world, representing the diaspora of British people.

Whitehead: Where does the name Whitehead come from?

The last name Whitehead is a relatively common name, especially in the United States and United Kingdom. In the United States, this surname is most strongly represented in the New England region, particularly in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. It is also found throughout the rest of the country, from states like New York and Pennsylvania to Oregon and Washington.

In the United Kingdom, Whitehead is most commonly found in Yorkshire and the Midlands. It is also common in Northern England, Wales, and Scotland.

The Whitehead name can also be found around the world, particularly in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. When it comes to other countries, the name is more dispersed and not as strongly represented since many of the immigrants to those countries had already changed their surname when they arrived.

Whitehead is an old English and Scottish name which derives from the Old English words hwīta and heafod. It means “Head of the White Person,” so it made sense that it would be a common name in countries where those languages are spoken.

Variations of the surname Whitehead

The surname Whitehead has various variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin including Whitehed, Whithead, Whitehede, Wighthed, Whithed, Wighthead, Whitehedd, Whitheade, Whithedd, Wightheade, and Whitehade.

The alternate spelling of Whitehead is a result of the continuous fluctuation of English spelling rules over the centuries. Some surnames were purposely spelled differently for both social and political reasons. When literate immigrants to the new American colonies increasingly wrote down their names - often for the first time ever - they employed the English spelling conventions that they were familiar with from their region of origin.

Variation in spelling of surnames are frequently found in different countries. In some cases, this is caused by the traditional meaning and spellings of the original language; for example, the surnames Whitehead and Whitehede may be found in Germany and mean ‘white head’ in reference to a particular physical shape or quality of the person’s head.

The many diverse spellings of the Whitehead surname also include Whithead, Withead, Whited, Wighthead, Whitehall, and Whitehouse. The surname Whitehead may also be found outside of England, with many variations of the spelling being found in Scotland, Ireland, Germany, France, and North America.

More recently, popular surnames have made slight more radical changes, such as the Americanization of Whitehead to Whithied or Whited, or to the Germanic variants Whitheide and Whithiede.

The surname Whitehead is shared by many people today and can be traced back centuries to Europe. In its many forms, this surname is an important part of our history.

Famous people with the name Whitehead

• Gordon Whitehead: former Prime Minister of Barbados
• Bob Whitehead: former NFL player
• Jack Whitehead: English footballer from the 1800s
• Joan Whitehead: British social historian
• Chris Whitehead: professional lacrosse player
• Alfred North Whitehead: British mathematician and philosopher
• Cornelius Whitehead: English academic
• Laurie Whitehead: Canadian tennis player
• Lee Whitehead: English rugby league player
• Nicolas Whitehead: French actor
• Simon Whitehead: British choreographer
• Tom Whitehead: British journalist
• W. E. B. Du Bois: American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist and Pan-Africanist
• Halley Whitehead: American swimmer
• Marlon Whitehead: former baseball player
• Mick Whitehead: Australian cyclist
• William Whitehead: former Postmaster General of Great Britain
• Winston Whitehead: British filmmaker
• Robert Whitehead: 19th century British inventor of the modern torpedo
• Maury Whitehead: Canadian ice hockey player

Other surnames

Whiteherse