Whittaker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The ancestors of the name Whittaker date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Whittaker family lived in one of a number of similarly-named places. The settlement of Wheatacre is in Norfolk, while Whiteacre in Waltham is in Kent; both of these names literally mean wheat-field. The place named Whitacre is in Warwickshire, while High Whitaker is in Lancashire; these names both mean white field. The surname Whittaker belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Whittaker family

The surname Whittaker was first found in Warwickshire where the first record of the name was Johias Whitacre (1042-1066), who died while fighting at the Battle of Hastings on the side of King Harold. Despite the fact he was on the losing side of the battle, his family was permitted to keep their estates. The place names Whitacre, Over Whitacre and Nether Whitacre were listed in the Domesday Book as Witacre and literally meant "white cultivated land" from the Old English words "hwit" + "aecer." 1

One of the earliest rolls was the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. Those rolls listed: Alan Witacur in Oxfordshire; and Richard de Whitacre in Northamptonshire. Years later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Henricus Wyteacre; Willelmus de Wetaker; and Rogerus Whitteacres. 2

"The Whittakers or Whitakers are numerous in Lancashire. From the 14th to the 16th century a gentle family of this name lived at High Whitaker or Whitacre in the vills of Simonstone and Padiham, in the parish of Whalley: the Whitakers of Holme and those of Henthorn branched off in the 15th century and those of Healy about 1620. " 3

One of the more interesting etymologies we found was the following: "local. The north part of a graveyard allotted to the poor was called Whittaker, from wite, a penalty, and acre,-a place of burial for criminals. A culprit who could not discharge the penalty or wite became a "witetheow," and was buried in the wite-acre. Bailey defines Whittaker "the north-east part of a flat or shoal-the middle ground." 4

We tend to believe that name was more likely "derived from a geographical locality. 'of the white acre.' " 2 as the former entry would suppose that there would be many such listings of the surname scattered throughout ancient Britain and this was clearly not the case.

Early History of the Whittaker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whittaker research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1375, 1548, 1580, 1586, 1595, 1622, 1640, 1642, 1646, 1659, 1660, 1661, 1679, 1695, 1696, 1701, 1702, 1704, 1715 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Whittaker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whittaker Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Whittaker are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Whittaker include: Whittaker, Whittakers, Whitaker, Whitacre and others.

Early Notables of the Whittaker family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Richard de Whitacre (c.1300-1375), Lord of the Manors of Nether Whitacre, Over Whitacre, Elmdon, and Freasley, he claimed direct descendancy for the aforementioned Johias Whitacre; William Whitaker (1548-1595), English Anglican theologian, Master of St. John's College, Cambridge; Henry Whitaker, English politician, Member of Parliament for Westbury in 1586; William Whitaker (c.1580-1646) of Shaftesbury, an English lawyer and politician, Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury in 1640; Henry Whitaker (c...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Whittaker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whittaker World Ranking

In the United States, the name Whittaker is the 1,760th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 5 However, in Australia, the name Whittaker is ranked the 611st most popular surname with an estimated 6,401 people with that name. 6 And in New Zealand, the name Whittaker is the 499th popular surname with an estimated 1,371 people with that name. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Whittaker as 353rd with 17,725 people. 8

Migration of the Whittaker family to Ireland

Some of the Whittaker family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Whittaker migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Whittaker or a variant listed above:

Whittaker Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Whittaker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Whittaker Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Whittaker migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Whittaker Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Whittaker migration to Australia +

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

Whittaker Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Whittaker migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Whittaker Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Whittaker (post 1700) +


The Whittaker Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Spes et fides
Motto Translation: Hope and faith.
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