Contents [hide]

Whiteman History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Whiteman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Whiteman

What does the name Whiteman mean?

The name Whiteman comes from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It was a name for a person with a pale complexion or blond hair. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. The name means "white man" 1 as far back as the 13th century when the poem Piers Plowman, (line 5195) notes "a Wightman of strengthe." 2

Alternatively, the name could have been a baptismal name as in 'the son of Wigmann.' "I strongly suspect the baptismal origin is the correct one. " 3

Early Origins of the Whiteman family

The surname Whiteman was first found in Oxfordhire. The variant Witmar (a personal name) was found in the Domesday Book of 1086. 4

Withman (d. 1047?), Abbot of Ramsey, called also Leucander and Andrew, was a German by birth. 5

Other early listings of the name or one of its variants include: Witeman fugitius who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1170; William Witman who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Kent in 1230; Richard Wyteman who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1243; and Stephen Whytman who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1243. 6

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Agnes Wyteman in Oxfordshire; John Wyteman in Cambridgeshire; Thomas Wyteman in Oxfordshire and William Wytman in Huntingdonshire. 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Johannes Wyghman, Willelmus Wyghman, and Johannes Wyghman as all holding lands there at that time. 3

The Scottish connection should now be explored. "Gilbert Wichtmann was rector of Lyne in 1527, and John Wychtman rendered to Exchequer the accounts of the burgh of Peebles in 1563. Thomas Vychtman was witness in Perthshire, 1547, John Waichtman appears in Melrose, 1606. " 7

Early History of the Whiteman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whiteman research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1544, 1566, 1612, 1631, 1688, 1716 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Whiteman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whiteman Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Whiteman has undergone many spelling variations, including Whiteman, Whitman, Wightman, Whyteman and others.

Early Notables of the Whiteman family

Notables of the family at this time include Edward Wightman (1566-1612), an English Baptist, executed at Lichfield for his views and was the last person to be burned at the stake for heresy in England. "He is said to have...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Whiteman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whiteman Ranking

In the United States, the name Whiteman is the 4,737^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Whiteman family to Ireland

Some of the Whiteman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whiteman migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Whiteman were among those contributors:

Whiteman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Whiteman, who landed in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1635 9
Robert Whiteman, aged 20, British settler who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Abigail" 9

Whiteman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Wendell Whiteman, aged 3, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 9
Margrett Whiteman, aged 30, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 9
Mathew Whiteman, aged 34, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 9
Mathias Whiteman, aged 56, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 9
Mathies Whiteman, aged 6, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Whiteman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Whiteman, who arrived in New York in 1821 9
Geary Whiteman, who arrived in New York in 1831 9
Richard Whiteman, who arrived in New York in 1835 9

Whiteman migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Whiteman Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. George Whiteman U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 442 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York, USA 10

Whiteman migration to Australia +

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

Whiteman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Whiteman, British Convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Richard Whiteman, English convict who was convicted in Berkshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Edward Whiteman, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Adamant" on March 16, 1821, settling in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. Spencer Whiteman, (b. 1800), aged 29, English farmer who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life for smuggling, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1874 14
Mr. David Whiteman, (b. 1803), aged 40, British shoe maker who was convicted in Jersey, Channel Islands for 7 years for robbery transported aboard the "Forfarshire" on 24th June 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Whiteman 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:

Whiteman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Francis Whiteman, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Gertrude 16
George Whiteman, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Gertrude 16
William Whiteman, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Gertrude 16
Francis Whiteman, aged 40, a farm labourer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1841 16
George Whiteman, aged 13, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1841 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Whiteman (post 1700) +

Sam W. Whiteman (1901-1926), American AFL football fullback/halfback for the Chicago Bulls in 1926
George Allison Whiteman (1919-1941), American military aviator who died at Pearl Harbor, one of the first American military deaths in World War II, eponym of Whiteman Air Force Base
Bart Whiteman (1948-2006), American theatre actor, director, and producer who founded Source Theatre, Washington, D.C. in 1977
David Bruce Whiteman (b. 1952), Canadian American poet, translator, and essayist
George "Lucky" Whiteman (1882-1947), American Major League Baseball outfielder
Paul Whiteman (1891-1967), American bandleader and orchestral director who Duke Ellington declared was "the King of Jazz"
W. W. Whiteman Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1956 17
Richard Whiteman, American politician, Mayor of Bridgeport, West Virginia, 1979-80 17
John Y. Whiteman, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1916 17
Helen S. Whiteman, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1936 17
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Whiteman family +

Arrow Air Flight 1285

Mr. Michael L Whiteman (1961-1985), American Specialist 4th Class from Dunkirk, Maryland, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 18

HMS Hood

Mr. John W Whiteman (b. 1910), Scottish Stoker Petty Officer serving for the Royal Navy from Dundee, Angus, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 19

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Langland, William, Piers the Ploughman. Translated by J.F. Goodridge. Penguin Books, 1959. Original copy was published in 13th century.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
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
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Adamant voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1821 with 144 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adamant/1821
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/forfarshire
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm