Show ContentsWhite History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

White Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of White

What does the name White mean?

From the historical and enchanting region of Scotland emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished White family. Originally, the Scottish people were known only by a single name. Scottish surnames evolved during the Middle Ages when people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Often they adopted names that were derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The name White is a nickname type of surname for a pale or fair haired person. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word "hwit," meaning "white."

Early Origins of the White family

The surname White was first found in at Coldingham, a village in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland, where "Uuiaett Hwite" witnessed King Eadgar's charter of Coldingham, sometime between the years 1097 and 1107. It appears the name may have actually predated the Norman invasion as Old English personal names such as "Huita, Huuita, Hwita" are known to have predated 1066. One Old English charter dated before 925 (the Cartularium Saxonica), there is a "Wulfnoo hwita" listed. Whyte was also used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic MacGhillebhain. By the mid 12th century, however, most of the bearers of this name in Scotland were of Norman descent. They held a family seat from very early times.

Early History of the White family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our White research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1236, 1376, 1426, 1658 and 1890 are included under the topic Early White History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

White Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: White, Whyte, Wight and others.

Early Notables of the White family

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

White World Ranking

the United States, the name White is the 14th most popular surname with an estimated 693,873 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name White is ranked the 21st most popular surname with an estimated 56,772 people with that name. 2 And in Quebec, Canada, the name White is the 579th popular surname. 3 Newfoundland, Canada ranks White as 1st with 1,835 people. 4 Australia ranks White as 9th with 64,439 people. 5 New Zealand ranks White as 15th with 6,311 people. 6 The United Kingdom ranks White as 15th with 131,849 people. 7 South Africa ranks White as 549th with 12,753 people. 8

Migration of the White family to Ireland

Some of the White family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

White migration to the United States +



White Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mr. William White, who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia aboard the ship "Discovery" in 1607 10
  • Mr. Edward White, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Bona Nova" 10
  • Mr. William White, (c. 1586- 1621), who arrived in Plymouth in 1620 aboard the ship "Mayflower" 10
  • Mrs. Susanna White, (nee Jackson), (b. 1592), who arrived in Plymouth in 1620 aboard the ship "Mayflower", died between 1654 - 1674 10
  • Mr. Resolved White, (1615-1690), who arrived in Plymouth in 1620 aboard the ship "Mayflower" 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
White Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • George White, who landed in North Carolina in 1701 11
  • Abigail White, who landed in North Carolina in 1701 11
  • Adam White, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 11
  • Dennis White, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 11
  • Claude White, who landed in Massachusetts in 1755-1768 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
White Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Catherine White, aged 22, who arrived in New York, NY in 1804 11
  • Alice White, aged 50, who landed in New York, NY in 1804 11
  • Eleanor White, aged 18, who arrived in New York, NY in 1804 11
  • Donald White, who arrived in North Carolina in 1811 11
  • Archibald White, aged 36, who landed in Maine in 1812 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
White Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Miss Jane White, aged 18, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863

White migration to Canada +

White Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
White Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Arthur White, who arrived in Ferryland, Newfoundland in 1706 12
  • Elizabeth White, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Ann White, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Mary White, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1774
  • Mrs. Ann White U.E. who settled in Bell Vue, Beaver Harbor, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 wife of Amos White 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
White Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Margaret White, who settled in Quebec in 1829
  • Elijah D White, who landed in Canada in 1831
  • Michael White, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Hibernia" from Kinsale, Ireland
  • Catherine White, aged 24, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Hibernia" from Kinsale, Ireland
  • Ellen White, aged 26, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

White migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet, Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Miss Ann White, (1771 - 1820), aged 36, British settler convicted in London, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing fabric, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 9
  • Miss Catherine White, British settler convicted in Maidstone, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Lady Juliana" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 10
  • Mr. John White, (b. 1741), aged 48, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to Life for theft, transported aboard the ship "Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 10
  • Mr. David White, (b. 1766), British settler convicted at Somerset, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 10
  • Mr. James White, British settler convicted at Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to 14 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 10
Second Fleet
  • Mr. James White, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Albermarle" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 10
  • Mr. Nathan White, British settler convicted in Northamptonshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for poaching, transported aboard the ship "Matilda" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 10
  • Mr. Richard White, British settler convicted in Cheshire, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Atlantic" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 10
  • Mr. William White, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "William and Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 10
  • Mr. William White, British settler convicted in Nottinghamshire, England in 1790, sentenced to 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Admiral Barrington" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 10
Third Fleet
  • Mr. James White, (b. 1758), aged 29, English settler convicted in Maidstone, Kent on 11th August 1783, sentenced for 7 years for highway robbery, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 10
  • Mr. Peter White, British sailmaker on the Navy support ship for the First Fleet the "HMS Sirius" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788
  • Mr. Thomas White, British gunner on the Navy support ship for the First Fleet the "HMS Sirius" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788
Following the First, Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

White Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Mr. John White, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
White Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

White 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:

White Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John White, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1834 aboard the ship Murray
  • W White, who landed in Hokianga, New Zealand in 1834
  • Henry White, who landed in Hokianga, New Zealand in 1839
  • Mr. White, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Delhi" arriving in New Zealand in 1840 18
  • Francis White, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

White migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 19
White Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. William White, (b. 1604), aged 30, British settler travelling from London, UK arriving in St Christopher (St. Kitts) on 5th January 1634 11
  • Mr. Michell White, (b. 1616), aged 18, British settler travelling from London, UK arriving in St Christopher (St. Kitts) on 5th January 1634 11
  • Mr. John White, (b. 1607), aged 27, British settler travelling from London, UK arriving in St Christopher (St. Kitts) on 5th January 1634 11
  • Mr. George White, (b. 1607), aged 27, British settler travelling from London, UK arriving in St Christopher (St. Kitts) on 5th January 1634 11
  • Mr. George White, (b. 1617), aged 18, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 20
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
White Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Ellinor White, who landed in Barbados in 1738 11

Contemporary Notables of the name White (post 1700) +

  • Betty Marion White Ludden (1922-2021), American five time Primetime Emmy Award, two Daytime Emmy Award winning actress and comedian, her career spanned seven decades, the first woman to produce a sitcom (Life with Elizabeth), which contributed to her being named honorary Mayor of Hollywood in 1955, best known for her roles as Sue Ann Nivens on the CBS sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973–1977), Rose Nylund on the NBC sitcom The Golden Girls (1985–1992), and Elka Ostrovsky on the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland (2010–2015), inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995
  • Byron Raymond "Whizzer" White (1917-2002), American Rhodes Scholar, associate justice of the Supreme Court, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom 21
  • Elwyn Brooks "E.B." White (1899-1985), American essayist/children's novelist awarded a special citation in 1978 by the Pulitzer Prize board and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Rex Allen White (1929-2025), American auto racer and NASCAR champion, one of the drivers who competed for the original Chevrolet racing team, began racing in 1956, grabbing fourteen top-ten finishes, won twice in 1958
  • Edmund Valentine White III (1940-2025), American novelist, memoirist, playwright, biographer, and essayist, known for candid portrayals of gay life, shaped LGBTQ+ and gay literature after the Stonewall riots, the semi-autobiographical trilogy A Boy's Own Story (1982), The Beautiful Room Is Empty (1988), and The Farewell Symphony (1997)
  • Bob White (1938-2025), born Loren Robert White, an American professional football fullback for the Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL)
  • Raymond C. White (1949-2025), American professional football player, linebacker and tight end for four seasons in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Cardinals (1971-1976)
  • Jeremy Allen White (b. 1991), American actor, best known for his role in The Bear (2022-present), for which he received three consecutive Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards
  • Mary Jo White (1941-2025), American politician, served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 21st District (1997-2013)
  • ... (Another 104 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Arrow Air Flight 1285
  • Mr. Emery S White (1957-1985), American Staff Sergeant from Clarksville, Tennessee, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 22
  • John White (b. 1825), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Eliza White (b. 1817), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Thomas White (b. 1820), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Anne White (b. 1822), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • ... (Another 65 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The White 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: Labore parta
Motto Translation: Acquired by work.

Suggested Readings for the name White +

  • The Ancestors of Daniel White, 1777-1836 and His Wife, Sarah Ford by Paula Porter Griffin.
  • Ancestral Chronological Record of the William White Family, from 1607-8 to 1895 By Thomas and Samuel Whit.
  • Family Ties of Roy Harold Murray: Ancestors and Descendants of the Murray, White, Waybright Families by Miriam Adams Cloud Murray.
  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  4. 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)
  5. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  6. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  7. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  8. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
  9. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  10. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  11. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  12. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  13. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  16. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
  18. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  20. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  21. Byron White. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Byron White. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_White
  22. American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550

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