Whithorne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Whithorne

What does the name Whithorne mean?

The name Whithorne is "clearly a nickname, perhaps one with a splendid trumpet or drinking-horn (from the Old English word hwit, meaning ‘white, fair, splendid’ and horn) 1

Early Origins of the Whithorne family

The surname Whithorne was first found in Suffolk where Martin Withorn held estates in 1275. Later, Thomas Whithorn was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. 1

Early History of the Whithorne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whithorne research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1541, 1543, 1559, 1563, 1565, 1571, 1577 and 1590 are included under the topic Early Whithorne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whithorne Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Whithorne were recorded, including Whitehorn, Withorn, Witehorne, Whithorn, Whithorne, Withorne, Whythorne and many more.

Early Notables of the Whithorne family

Peter Whitehorne or Whithorne (fl. 1543-1563), was an English military writer, described on the title-pages of his books, first as student and then as 'fellow' of Gray's Inn. However, "his name does n...
Thomas Whithorne (fl. 1590), was an English musical amateur who published in 1571 'Songes of three, fower, and fiue partes, by Thomas Whythorne, gent.' The collection consists of seventy-six pieces, m...

Whithorne migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Whithorne family emigrate to North America:

Whithorne Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Arunges Whithorne, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 2
An Whithorne, who landed in Virginia in 1665 2

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)