The Whitlock surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 16,927 people carried this name — #2,142 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 17,400 people counted. That is up 2% from 16,603 in 2000.

See Whitlock on the map Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Whitlock surname

From Middle English Whytlok, Whitelok, Witloc, Wictlok, Wyhtlok, Witlok, Whytlak, Whitlak; partly from Old English witlāc, wihtlāc (personal name) and partly from Middle English whyt (“white”) + lok (“lock, hair”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Whitlock» (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 nickname: ‘white-lock’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Emma fil. Witlok, Huntingdonshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls. Fil. is Latin for “son of”.

His entry covers Whitelock and Whitlock.

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

In the Nordic population registers

40 people named Whitlock is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 40

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Whitlock was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Essex: 19 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 526. 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

Essex 19
Wiltshire 16

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 the first U.S. census, 1790

57 families named Whitlock, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 305 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 20
Virginia 11
New York 7
South Carolina 6
Vermont 4
North Carolina 4
Maryland 3
Pennsylvania 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 268 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Whitlock in American newspapers,
1916–1919.

Newspaper page from The Daily Missoulian carrying the name Whitlock
The Daily Missoulian 1917-12-14
Newspaper page from The Circle Banner carrying the name Whitlock
The Circle Banner 1916-03-03
Newspaper page from Great Falls Daily Tribune carrying the name Whitlock
Great Falls Daily Tribune 1919-11-26

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 80,657 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Whitlock in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1990s.

6,602 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Whitlock. The most, 1,614, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Western Australia, at 3.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Western Australia 2,191
New South Wales 1,835
Victoria 1,034
Queensland 687
South Australia 598
Tasmania 197
ACT (Canberra) 36
Northern Territory 16

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

Who carried it

People named Whitlock,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Elizabeth Whitlock
    Elizabeth Whitlock 1761–1836 · stage actor
  • Billy Whitlock
    Billy Whitlock 1813–1878 · actor
  • Sophie Whitlock
    Sophie Whitlock 1827–1920 · businessperson
  • Ellen Whitlock
    Ellen Whitlock 1848–1934 · author
  • Anna Whitlock
    Anna Whitlock 1852–1930 · in-home tutor
  • Richard Whitelock d. 1570

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 Whitlock,
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 States1,403 records

1,403 records of the Whitlock name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 652
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 299
  • Other U.S. records 452
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Doyle Whitlock

    Born 1911 in Arkansas. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Josepth T Robinson Little Rock; driver. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1970, buried at Fort Smith National Cemetery, Arkansas.

    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 Donald Bened Whitlock

    Born 1951; from Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. U.S. Army, infantryman; died of wounds 1971 in Quang Ngai, 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 Rebecca Whitlock

    Arrived at New York in 1852 aboard the Cornelius Grinnell from Liverpool, aged 11; farmer. From England.

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

Showing 3 of 1,403 records for Whitlock in the United States.

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

Australia235 records

235 records of the Whitlock name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 134
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 41
  • Other Australian records 60
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mary Ann Whitlock

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1835. Married 1835 in Launceston, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. 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 Frederick Whitlock

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Burrell, arriving 1830; ticket of leave 1854.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Shooting Star, aged 36; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 235 records for Whitlock 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). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); 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).

Canada40 records

40 records of the Whitlock name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 16
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 13
  • Other Canadian records 11
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record George Milton Whitlock

    Buried in 1968 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 80.

    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 Mary M. Whitlock

    Died 1933 in Halifax, 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 Harry Whitlock

    Died in service in 1944.

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

Showing 3 of 40 records for Whitlock in Canada.

Counts: 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. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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 Kingdom22 records

22 records of the Whitlock name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 17
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 3
  • Other British records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Isabella McHarg Whitlock

    Died 1941, aged 30; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Sarah Whitlock

    Will proved in 1936; of Bangor, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record S. J. Whitlock

    King's Royal Rifle Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 22 records for Whitlock 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) · Stirling Council. 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); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands14 records

14 records of the Whitlock name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 11
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Gertrude Mary Whitlock

    Married in 1926 in Vlissingen.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register George Whitlock

    In the population register of Vlissingen; born 1860 in Londen.

    Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Vlissingen (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Bertie Whitlock

    Born 1889 in Vlissingen.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Whitlock in the Netherlands.

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); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Whitlock 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 Douglas Stuart Whitlock

    Died 1972, aged 31; buried at Ruru Lawn, 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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Whitlock.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Whitlock 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.

See the Whitlock volume
Scroll to Top