The Whyte surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,701 people carried this name — #4,609 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 38,300 people counted. That is up 22% from 6,298 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Whyte surname

From whyte (“white”). Uncertain semantics.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Whyte» (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

An early record he cites: Geoffrey le Whyte, Cambridgeshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers White and Whyte.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 806 · public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 23 people named Whyte.

Most of them — 19 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 4 départements, most often Oise.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 19
Oise 1
Paris 1
Seine-Maritime 1
Val-de-Marne 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

22 people named Whyte live in Switzerland.

They live in 4 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Vaud 8
Basel-Stadt 5
Geneva 5
Zurich 4

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In the Nordic population registers

32 people named Whyte is counted in Sweden.

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

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 32

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).

In Scotland, 1880s

Whyte was 15 in every 10,000 names in Scotland.

That is about 1 in 667. Its home there, in Guppy’s words: “South of the Forth and the Clyde.” He counted the more than 20,000 names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, taking Scotland as a whole, and listed only the names that reached 10 in every 10,000.

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), appendix: alphabetical list of the most frequent Scottish names, p. 595 — public domain · names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, per 10,000 for the whole country.

In Scotland’s registers today

Whyte was recorded 171 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 125th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 297. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, Whyte was counted together with White: 1,699 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 9,523 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: White, Whight, Whites, Whyte. 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

Massachusetts 384
North Carolina 268
Pennsylvania 201
New York 168
Virginia 116
Maryland 110
South Carolina 110
Connecticut 103
New Hampshire 79
Vermont 77
Maine 53
Rhode Island 30

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

Whyte in American newspapers,
1893–1909.

Newspaper page from The Anaconda Standard carrying the name Whyte
The Anaconda Standard 1893-08-23
Newspaper page from The Morning Astorian carrying the name Whyte
The Morning Astorian 1909-02-25
Newspaper page from The Morning Astorian carrying the name Whyte
The Morning Astorian 1908-08-30

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 3,158 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Whyte in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

54,013 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Whyte. The most, 8,645, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 13,618
Victoria 12,515
Queensland 10,359
South Australia 7,667
Tasmania 5,482
Western Australia 3,870
ACT (Canberra) 401
Northern Territory 35

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

Who carried it

People named Whyte,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Carolyn Whyte
    Carolyn Whyte d. 1918 · actor
  • Sophia Whyte
    Sophia Whyte d. 1839
  • Mary Whyte d. 1607
  • Edith Whyte d. 1975
  • Mary Brereton d. 1621
  • Sir Nicholas Whyte d. 1593

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 Whyte,
in the records of 8 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 States1,123 records

1,123 records of the Whyte name in the United States
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 340
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 264
  • Other U.S. records 519
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Grafton S. Whyte

    Born 1919 in Maryland. Enlisted 1941 at Baltimore; construction worker from Baltimore City. Veteran; died 1967, buried at Baltimore National Cemetery, Maryland.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record William A. Whyte

    Born 1906 in Irish Free State. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island, New York; hotel clerk. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1992, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jenny Whyte

    Arrived at New York in 1891 aboard the Germanic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 23; servant. From Glasgow, Scotland; bound for New York.

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

Showing 3 of 1,123 records for Whyte in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · 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, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · 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); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,565 records

1,565 records of the Whyte name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 779
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 356
  • Other Australian records 430
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Pringle Whyte

    Died 1857 in Hamilton, Tasmania, aged 43. Will registered in Tasmania in 1857.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record James Wilkinson Whyte

    Born 1852 in Hobart, Tasmania. Married 1876 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 23.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. 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 John Whyte

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Roslin Castle, arriving 1834; ticket of leave 1848. Native of Birm.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 1,565 records for Whyte in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · 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: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); 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).

Canada240 records

240 records of the Whyte name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 72
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 56
  • Other Canadian records 112
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Joseph Whyte

    Came to Ontario in 1869 aboard the City of Boston, landing at N. Y., bound for Weston, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Janet Whyte

    Buried in 1972 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 84.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Rose Whyte

    Died 1966 in Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 240 records for Whyte in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · 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. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom143 records

143 records of the Whyte name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 73
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 42
  • Other British records 28
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record William H. A. Whyte

    Born 1877 at Forres; grocer. Served in the First World War. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret C. Whyte

    Died 1901, aged 65; buried at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

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

    Will proved in 1941; of Rhos on Sea, Denbigh.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)

Showing 3 of 143 records for Whyte in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Ireland71 records

71 records of the Whyte name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thoms Whyte

    Died 1838, aged 58; buried at Abbeygormican, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bridget Whyte

    Died 1971, aged 75; buried at Killererin (Old), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Whyte

    Died 1990, aged 71; buried at Moylough, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 71 records for Whyte in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County 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).

New Zealand65 records

65 records of the Whyte name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 51
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 4
  • Other New Zealand records 10
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas John Whyte

    Died 1971, aged 99; buried at Bromley 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 Rata May Whyte

    Died 1969, aged 58; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record James Whyte

    Died 1888; ashes interred at Oxford Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 65 records for Whyte in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Canterbury Maps (Environment Canterbury), Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils (CC BY 3.0 NZ). 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).

Netherlands25 records

25 records of the Whyte name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 15
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 7
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Bryce Sydney Whyte

    Married in 1894 in 's-Gravenhage; cooper.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Alexander Whyte

    Married in 1713 in Rotterdam; born in Glasgow.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Hector Mac-Calm Whyte

    In the population register of Liverpool; born 1900 in Liverpool.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Breda (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 25 records for Whyte 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).

France2 records

2 records of the Whyte name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Antoinette Germaine Whyte

    Born 1917 in Rouen; died 2001 in Sotteville-lès-Rouen (Seine-Maritime).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Whyte in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Whyte.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Whyte 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 Whyte volume
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