The Whiteley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,834 people carried this name — #6,935 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 61,000 people counted. That is up 4% from 4,647 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Whiteley surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Whiteley’.

An early record he cites: William de Witeleye, Yorkshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Whiteley, Whitley and Whitely.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 808 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Whiteley was found among the farmers of Yorkshire, West Riding: 14 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

Yorkshire, West Riding 14

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

Whiteley in American newspapers,
1877–1915.

Newspaper page from The Toledo Chronicle carrying the name Whiteley
The Toledo Chronicle 1877-08-09
Newspaper page from The Rock Island Argus carrying the name Whiteley
The Rock Island Argus 1882-10-06
Newspaper page from Goodwin's Weekly : A Thinking Paper For Thinking People carrying the name Whiteley
Goodwin's Weekly : A Thinking Paper For Thinking People 1915-01-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 21,013 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Whiteley in Australian newspapers,
1840s–2000s.

16,681 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Whiteley. The most, 3,413, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 8,179
Queensland 3,566
Victoria 1,709
Tasmania 1,284
Western Australia 1,102
South Australia 756
ACT (Canberra) 67
Northern Territory 6

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

Who carried it

People named Whiteley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Whiteley
    John Whiteley 1806–1869 · missionary
  • John Whiteley
    John Whiteley 1806–1869 · missionary
  • William G. Whiteley
    William G. Whiteley 1819–1886 · judge
  • Richard H. Whiteley
    Richard H. Whiteley 1830–1890 · lawyer
  • William Whiteley
    William Whiteley 1831–1907 · entrepreneur
  • Sarah Isabella Whiteley d. 1883

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Whiteley,
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 States506 records

506 records of the Whiteley name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 176
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 94
  • Other U.S. records 236
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Frank A. Whiteley

    Born 1910. Enlisted 1941 at San Francisco, California; writer from San Francisco County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1957, buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    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 Wayne Anthony Whiteley

    Born 1948; from Wappingers Falls, New York. U.S. Marine Corps, assaultman; killed in action 1968 in Thua Thien, South Vietnam.

    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 Edward Whiteley

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 27; merchant. From London; bound for New York.

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

Showing 3 of 506 records for Whiteley in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · 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).

Australia479 records

479 records of the Whiteley name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 212
  • Tasmanian Names Index 104
  • Other Australian records 163
  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 Michael Whiteley

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Elphinstone, sailing from Downs in 1836. Native of Wakefield, Yorkshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1842. Married 1842 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 32.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Henry James Whiteley

    Died 1920 in Hospital, Latrobe, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1920.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Frederick Henry Whiteley

    Born 1870 in Hobart, Tasmania. Married 1894 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 24.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 479 records for Whiteley in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (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); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada73 records

73 records of the Whiteley name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 37
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 12
  • Other Canadian records 24
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record William Benjamin Whiteley

    Buried in 1989 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 78.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Raymond Joseph Whiteley

    Died 1965 in Neils Harbour, Victoria, Nova Scotia.

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

    Died in service in 1942.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 73 records for Whiteley in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · 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 Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom52 records

52 records of the Whiteley name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 45
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 4
  • Welsh wills index cards 3
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Henry Whiteley

    Will proved in 1936; of Blk, Blk.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Whiteley

    Buried in 1816 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 59.

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

    Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

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

Showing 3 of 52 records for Whiteley 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. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); 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).

New Zealand8 records

8 records of the Whiteley name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 4
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ann Jane Whiteley

    Died 1944, aged 74; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Ngaira Whiteley

    Born 1911, died 1999; ashes interred at Kaiapoi Anglican Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Whiteley

    Died 1962, aged 72; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Whiteley in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Whiteley name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Annie Whiteley

    Died 1968 in Utrecht, aged 61.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mary Ann Whiteley

    Married in 1873 in Kampen.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Whiteley.

When the index is not enough

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

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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