WHITTAKER

Whittaker is a surname of English origin that is chiefly locational in nature, reflecting a person’s connection with a distinctive white natural feature or the name of a place.

The derivation of the name is normally traced to the Old English elements hwit, meaning “white”, and a second element that varies. In one tradition the suffix is ac, the Old English word for “oak”; hence, Whittaker originally signified “one dwelling near a prominent white oak tree”. A second tradition cites carr, meaning “rock”, so that the name would refer instead to that of a white‑coloured rock or cliff adjacent to the person’s dwelling.

In a locational context, the surname can be linked to several places in England – such as Whitacre in Warwickshire, Whitaker in Lancashire, Whiteacre in Waltham, Kent, or Wheatacre near Beccles in Norfolk. The first two places have names derived from the pre‑7th Century Old English hwit (later Middle English whit) plus feld, denoting pasture or open country, whereas Whiteacre and Wheatacre are formed from Old English hwaete (wheat) and aecer (cultivated soil). Locational surnames were originally bestowed upon landowners, lords of the manor or inhabitants who had migrated from their place of origin, and they were most readily identified by the name of their birth‑place.

Historical records show early uses of the name in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. Examples include Simon de Wit Acra of Warwickshire in 1180, Robert de Witacra in Northamptonshire in 1189 and Richard de Whitacre of Lancashire in 1336. The earliest confirmed spelling occurs in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1177, dated to the reign of Henry the Builder of Churches 1154–1189.

In modern use, the surname appears in several variants, such as Whiteaker, Whitaker, Whitticase and Widaker. A notable bearer of the name in the nineteenth century was George Whittaker (1793–1847), a successful bookseller and publisher who worked for Sir Walter Scott, the author of classics including Ivanhoe and The Talisman.

Typical given names associated with the Whittaker surname

Male

• Andrew
• David
• Ian
• James
• John
• Mark
• Michael
• Paul
• Robert
• Stephen

Female

• Elizabeth
• Emma
• Helen
• Jane
• Janet
• Julie
• Karen
• Margaret
• Mary
• Nicola
• Patricia
• Sarah
• Susan

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Whittaker in...

Braille

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Morse

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Semaphore

Surname type: Location or geographical feature

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Famous people named Whittaker

• Jodie Whittaker - Actress
• Roger Whittaker - Anglo-Kenyan musician
• James Brown Whittaker - Stand-up comedian and TV personality (1937 to 2018)
• Robert Whittaker - Australian mixed martial artist
• Maria Whittaker - Singer and glamour model
• John Whittaker - Businessman
• Steven Whittaker - Scottish football player
• Craig Whittaker - Politician
• David Whittaker - Video game composer
• Stephen Whittaker - Actor and film director (1947 to 2003)
• Tom Whittaker - Football player and manager (1898 to 1956)
• Morgan Whittaker - Football player
• Benjamin Whittaker - Boxer
• John Whittaker - Politician
• Brian Whittaker - Scottish football player (1956 to 1997)
• Tom Whittaker - Mountain climber
• Sandra Whittaker -
• Victor P. Whittaker - Biochemist (1919 to 2016)
• Robert Whittaker - Cricketer (1908 to 1990)
• Thomas Sherren Whittaker - Rugby union player (1868 to 1914)

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

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