First found in Yorkshire where they are believed to be descended from William de Percy, the most heroic of Norman nobles who held the lands of Whitby, in the East Riding of York, from 1066. He went to the first Crusade in 1096 and died at Mountjoy near Jerusalem.

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Whitby or a variant listed above: Daniel Whitby settled in Virginia in 1623; along with Richard; Henry Whitby settled in Maryland in 1684; Kath Whitby settled in Virginia in 1654; James Whitby arrived in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1808.

Motto Translated: It is virtue to shun vice

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