2000
#37,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 549
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Whitelow
A surname derived from a place name referring to a low-lying white area or field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 742 Americans carry the last name Whitelow. That puts it at #37,075 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 461,933 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whitelow 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.
Bearers in the US
742
1 in 461,933
Census rank
#37,075
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
647
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 647 bearers of the surname Whitelow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 37075th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitelow, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and White (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whitelow
The surname Whitelow finds its origins in England, surfacing in historical records as early as the medieval period. Its roots can be traced back to Old English elements, particularly the words "hwit," meaning "white," and "hlaw," signifying a hill or a mound. The combination likely referred to a geographical feature in the landscape, such as a chalky or pale hill, which is a characteristic common in several parts of England.
One of the earliest and most significant records of the name Whitelow appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript commissioned by William the Conqueror to survey his English territories. Although the exact spelling variations have evolved over time, the Domesday Book provides a glimpse into the nomenclature of the era. The name might have been recorded as Witalawe or Hwitalaw, indicating the characteristic hill in the local topography.
In the 13th century, the surname Whitelow appears in various tax rolls and manorial records. One of the earliest recorded instances is a William Whitelow, documented in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1260. The prevalence of the name in Yorkshire suggests that the Whitelow family had established themselves in the region during this period, possibly as landowners or yeomen.
The Whitelow surname also found mention in the Feet of Fines records, legal documents recording land transactions, during the 14th and 15th centuries. John Whitelow, a notable landowner, appears in such records in 1375. His involvement in local land transactions indicates that the family held a position of some influence within their community.
In the 16th century, the name continued to appear in various church and civic records. Thomas Whitelow, born in 1542, served as a churchwarden in a parish in Lancashire, demonstrating the family's continued prominence and active role in community affairs. This era saw the surname stabilizing in its modern form, Whitelow, although variations like Whytlow or Whitehlaw were still occasionally recorded.
The 17th and 18th centuries saw the Whitelow family diversifying in their professions. Edward Whitelow, born in 1634, became a notable merchant in London, amassing significant wealth and contributing to local charities. His prominence in the capital's commercial circles marked a shift from the historically agrarian roots of the family.
Another significant figure bearing the Whitelow name was Sarah Whitelow, born in 1765, an early advocate for social reform in Lancashire. Her efforts in improving local education and working conditions highlighted the Whitelow family’s growing engagement in social and civic duties beyond their historical roles.
Throughout its history, the surname Whitelow has been associated with various regions in England, predominantly Yorkshire and Lancashire. The name has conveyed geographical and occupational ties, adapting from its early descriptive origins to represent a family engaged in both local and national spheres.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whitelow
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitelow, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and White (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Whitelow 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 Whitelow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American83.6% · 541
- Two or more races8.5% · 55
- White5.9% · 38
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whitelow
Whitelow 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
#34,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 659
+110 bearers (+20.0%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 3,596 places
2020
#37,075
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 647
-12 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 2,685 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,986 | 549 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,390 | 659 | 0.22 | +110 bearers (+20.0%) | Up 3,596 places |
| 2020 | #37,075 | 647 | 0.22 | -12 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 2,685 places |
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 Whitelow 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 | #34,390 | #37,075 | -7.8% |
| Count | 659 | 647 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.22 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whitelow bearers went from 659 to 647 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 2,685 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,390 to #37,075.
FAQ
Whitelow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whitelow?
Name Census estimates that about 742 living Americans carry the surname Whitelow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 461,933 residents.
How common is Whitelow?
Whitelow ranks #37,075 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 647 people with the surname Whitelow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (742), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Whitelow.
Has Whitelow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whitelow went from 659 recorded bearers to 647. That is a decrease of 12 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #34,390 to #37,075.
What does the Census say about the background of Whitelow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whitelow, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and White (5.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Whitelow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (541 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whitelow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (83.6%), Two or More Races (8.5%), White (5.9%). 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 Whitelow (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 Whitelow mean?
A surname derived from a place name referring to a low-lying white area or field. 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 Whitelow (0.22 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 Whitelow?
You can see how many people have the last name Whitelow on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.