The Whatley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,579 people carried this name — #3,109 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 25,400 people counted. That is up 5% from 11,039 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Whatley surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Whatley» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Whatley’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Peter de Watele, Oxfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Whately, Whatley, Wheatley and Wheatly.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 804 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Whatley was found among the farmers of Wiltshire: 17 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Wiltshire 17

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Whatley in American newspapers,
1910–1918.

Newspaper page from The Columbia Herald carrying the name Whatley
The Columbia Herald 1912-11-08
Newspaper page from Albuquerque Morning Journal carrying the name Whatley
Albuquerque Morning Journal 1918-05-09
Newspaper page from The Alamogordo News carrying the name Whatley
The Alamogordo News 1910-12-08

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 19,442 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Whatley in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1980s.

3,015 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Whatley. The most, 651, date from the 1940s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Tasmania, at 6.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Tasmania 1,114
New South Wales 839
Queensland 517
Victoria 390
Western Australia 102
South Australia 41
Northern Territory 6
ACT (Canberra) 4

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Whatley.

Who carried it

People named Whatley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • George Whatley d. 1791 · lawyer
  • Sir Joseph Whatley d. 1844
  • Richard Whateley West 1848–1905 · painter
  • Uriah Whatley 1849–1904
  • Ernest Whatley 1874–1952 · painter
  • Norman Whatley 1884–1965 · social scientist

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Whatley,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States678 records

678 records of the Whatley name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 444
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 147
  • Other U.S. records 87
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Milford B. Whatley

    Born 1919 in Alabama. Enlisted 1941 at Fort McClellan; farm hand from Henry County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Mount Zion Cemetery, Columbia, Alabama.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Ithiel E. Whatley

    Born 1930; from Escambia County, Florida. U.S. Army, heavy weapons infantryman; declared dead 1950 in South Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Julia Whatley

    Arrived at New York in 1853 aboard the Sir Robert Peel from London, aged 30; merchant. From England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 678 records for Whatley in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia251 records

251 records of the Whatley name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 169
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 51
  • Other Australian records 31
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Robert Whatley

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Recovery, arriving 1836; certificate of freedom 1842.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Emma Whatley

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Parsee, aged 8; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Leslie William Whatley

    Retired farmer of Eaglehawk, Victoria; died 1988.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 251 records for Whatley in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom16 records

16 records of the Whatley name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 15
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Whatley

    Buried in 1793 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 63.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. J. Whatley

    Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Whatley

    Monmouthshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 16 records for Whatley in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada10 records

10 records of the Whatley name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 3
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • Other Canadian records 5
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lloyd Whatley

    Buried in 1971 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 42.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Edward Whatley

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Robert Whatley

    Listed at Cumberland, Nova Scotia in the census and tax rolls of 1770.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 10 records for Whatley in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Whatley name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Hannah Isabel Whatley

    Died 1943, aged 69; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Whatley

    Died 1935, aged 62; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Whatley name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jane Harriet ook Whatley

    Married in 1901 in 's-Gravenhage.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Whatley.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Whatley is.
A volume says what happened to it.

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