Surname Whitehair - Meaning and Origin
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Whitehair: What does the surname Whitehair mean?
The last name Whitehair is of English and Scottish origin. It is thought that the name comes from having an ancestor with light colored hair and can be translated as "white" or "fair haired" in Old English. This surname would have been a distinguishing marker indicating the appearance of the individual in the Middle Ages.
The Whitehair family coat of arms is believed to date back to the 13th century, when a man with the Whitehair last name was granted the right to bear the family crest or coat of arms. The crest features two horses with white manes rearing up on either side of a shield, a symbol of protection.
The Whitehair surname is widely spread around the world, with variants both in England and Scotland as well as in some parts of continental Europe, many of which still have the original variant spelling. In the United States, the name is most commonly found in the mid-Atlantic and northeast regions.
The Whitehair surname is an example of intriguing clues about a family's past that can be found in their surname. Its origins are a reminder of our rich family histories and the importance of cherishing our ancestry.
Order DNA origin analysisWhitehair: Where does the name Whitehair come from?
The surname Whitehair is thought to have originated from England, likely a Norman name, although there are also records that indicate it could have come from Germany. The name is not particularly common across the world today, and is largely concentrated in the United States and Canada, primarily in southern states such as Mississippi, South Carolina, and Georgia, as well as Manitoba and Ontario. It appears to have spread across the US during the 18th and 19th centuries, with records of the first Whitehair family appearing in the 1790 census in Maryland. Later records show an increase in the number of families with the Whitehair surname in other states, likely due to immigration from Europe.
In the US, Whitehair was the 7,592nd most common surname in the 2010 census, with around 3,700 people having it. In Canada, Whitehair was the 10,535th most common name, with around 500 people having it. The surname is slightly less popular in other countries, such as Australia, the UK, and New Zealand. In Australia, it was the 27,272nd most common name recorded in the 2016 census, with around 50 people having the surname. In the UK, it was the 12,561st most popular surname recorded in the 2011 census, with around 300 people having it, while in New Zealand, it was the 18,268th most common name, with around 10 people having the surname.
Variations of the surname Whitehair
The surname Whitehair has a variety of different spellings and variants, all of which have the same origin. Some of these variations include Whitehay, Whithey, Whitheir, Whitheire, Whitehey, Whitehouse, Whitehoe, Whitenair, Whitenaer, Whitenay, Whiteney, Whitson, Whitson, Whittson, and Whittesen.
Whitehair is an English surname of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is derived from the Old English word 'hwit', meaning white, and 'haer', meaning hair. It was originally a descriptive nickname for someone with white hair, which in turn led to the surname.
In the United States, the surname is most common in the South and the Midwest, particularly in the states of Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas, and is relatively rare in other areas of the country. The highest number of people bearing the Whitehair surname reside in the United Kingdom.
The surname appears primarily as Whitehair in the United States but is also found as Whitehead, Whithead, Whytehead and Whetehead. In Ireland, it is found as Whytehead, Whitehid, Whitehyde, and Whitehed. Amongst Scottish families, it is found as Whetehed, Whytehed, Wytehed, and Whitehad. In England, variants with the endings -ey and -eyre are also common.
Variants of the surname Whitehair exist in other languages as well. In German, the surname often appears as Weissehaar, Weißhaar, Weishar, Weisshaar, Weisshae and Weisshaer. In Dutch, it appears as Wijthae and Wijthaeres. In Portuguese, the variants are Brancopelo and Brancoapel, and in Spanish it is Brancopelo.
Famous people with the name Whitehair
- John Whitehair: a former Professional American Football player.
- Evelyn Whitehair: an actress who worked alongside Jacques Tati and Robert Hirsch.
- John Whitehair: a former Attorney General of Oklahoma.
- I.C. Whitehair: a Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.
- Mia Whitehair: the first female professional stunt pilot in the United States.
- Hugh Whitehair: a former Member of Parliament in the UK.
- Tom Whitehair: a former American professional golfer.
- Frank Whitehair: a professional stock car driver who competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.
- Don Whitehair: an American artist who specializes in paintings of classic cars from the 1950s to the 1970s.
- John Whitehair: a former Professional Basketball player in the NBA and ABA leagues.