Show ContentsWhiffen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Whiffen family

The surname Whiffen was first found in Prussia, where the name emerged in medieval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Whiffen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whiffen research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Whiffen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whiffen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wiff, Whiff, Wiffen, Whiffen, Wiffin, Whiffin and many more.

Early Notables of the Whiffen family

More information is included under the topic Early Whiffen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whiffen Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Whiffen is the 530th most popular surname with an estimated 87 people with that name. 1


Canada Whiffen migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Whiffen Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Whiffen, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Whiffen Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Herbert Whiffen was granted land at Little Southern Harbour, Newfoundland in 1838 2

Australia Whiffen migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Whiffen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Elisha Whiffen, English convict who was convicted in Essex, England for life, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 2nd November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
  • Mr. John Joseph Whiffen, (Wiffen), (b. 1840), aged 26, English shoe maker who was convicted in London, England for 15 years for burglary, transported aboard the "Belgravia" on 4th April 1866, arriving in Western Australia, he died in 1902 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Whiffen (post 1700) +

  • Frederick J. Whiffen, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles, California, 1915 5
  • C. W. Whiffen, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Idaho, 1912 5


  1. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  2. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th March 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/belgravia
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, April 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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