2000
#20
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 639,515
First available Census row
Per 100,000 237.07
Very Common Last name
White
An English surname referring to someone with very fair hair or pale skin, or who dressed in white.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 730,233 Americans carry the last name White. That puts it at #24 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 213.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 469 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the White surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for White with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
730K
1 in 469
Census rank
#24
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
213.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
637K
very common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 636,798 bearers of the surname White in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 213.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname White, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.0%. The next largest groups are Black (27.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of White
The surname White has its origins in England and dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period, specifically the 5th and 6th centuries. The name is derived from the Old English word "hwit," meaning pale or light-colored. It was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with pale skin, blonde hair, or someone who dressed in white clothing.
The earliest recorded instance of the name White appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the surname, including Whiteman and Whitchild, which were early variations of the name.
In the Middle Ages, the name White was associated with various locations in England, such as White's Green in Oxfordshire and White's Hill in Somerset. These place names likely contributed to the further spread and adoption of the surname.
Notable individuals with the surname White throughout history include:
1. Sir Thomas White (c. 1492-1567), a merchant and philanthropist who founded St. John's College, Oxford.
2. Peregrine White (c. 1620-1704), believed to be the first English child born in colonial New England to the Pilgrims.
3. Gilbert White (1720-1793), an English naturalist and author of the influential book "The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne."
4. Ellen G. White (1827-1915), a prominent author and co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
5. E.B. White (1899-1985), the renowned American essayist and children's author known for works like "Charlotte's Web" and "Stuart Little."
As the surname White spread throughout England and later to other parts of the world, various spellings emerged, such as Whyte, Wight, and Whight. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for White
Among Census respondents with the surname White, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.0%. The next largest groups are Black (27.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how White bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the White surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.0% · 401,153
- Black or African American27.3% · 173,785
- Two or more races4.7% · 29,756
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 21,556
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 6,369
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 4,179
Timeline
Historical Census data for White
White appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#24
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 660,491
+20,976 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 223.91
Rank movement Down 4 places
2020
#24
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 636,798
-23,693 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 213.05
Rank movement No rank change
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20 | 639,515 | 237.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24 | 660,491 | 223.91 | +20,976 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 4 places |
| 2020 | #24 | 636,798 | 213.05 | -23,693 bearers (-3.6%) | No rank change |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the White surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #24 | #24 | 0.0% |
| Count | 660,491 | 636,798 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 223.91 | 213.05 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of White bearers went from 660,491 to 636,798 (-3.6% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, remaining at #24.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname White
FAQ
White surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname White?
Name Census estimates that about 730,233 living Americans carry the surname White. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 469 residents.
How common is White?
White ranks #24 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 213.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 213 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 636,798 people with the surname White. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (730,233), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 213.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 213.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 213 of them to have the surname White.
Has White become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname White went from 660,491 recorded bearers to 636,798. That is a decrease of 23,693 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it stayed at #24.
What does the Census say about the background of White?
Among Census respondents with the surname White, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.0%. The next largest groups are Black (27.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname White in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.0% (401,153 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
White appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.0%), Black (27.3%), Two or More Races (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for White (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does White mean?
An English surname referring to someone with very fair hair or pale skin, or who dressed in white. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for White (213.05 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname White?
Want to know how many people have the surname White? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.