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Whitney Family History

Whitney Name Meaning

English: habitational name from Whitney in Herefordshire the etymology of which is uncertain. The second element is Old English ēg ‘island piece of higher ground in a low-lying area’; the first appears to be hwītan which is either the genitive singular of an Old English byname Hwīta (meaning ‘white’) or the weak dative case (originally used after a preposition and article) of the adjective hwīt ‘white’. The name may also derive from Whitney (now Whitney Wood) in Stevenage (Hertfordshire) probably named from Old English hwītan ‘white’ + (ge)hæge ‘enclosure’.

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


Similar surnames: Whitley, Sidney, Whitty, Whitby, White, Pitney, Whinery, Willey

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Where is the Whitney family from?

You can see how Whitney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whitney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whitney families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 458 Whitney families living in New York. This was about 28% of all the recorded Whitney's in USA. New York had the highest population of Whitney families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whitney surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Whitney ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Whitney. 14% of Whitney men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Whitney women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whitney were Truck Driver and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Whitney | 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 1940

  • Laborer
    14%
  • Farmer
    11%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    8%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Stenographer
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Whitney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 290,000 census records available for the last name Whitney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whitney 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 27,000 immigration records available for the last name Whitney. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 55,000 military records available for the last name Whitney. For the veterans among your Whitney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Whitney lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Whitney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Whitney in 1940 was 54, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Whitney

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