Whitley Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Whitley Name Meaning: Originates from the Anglo-Saxon word 'hwit', meaning white and 'leah'meaning a wood clearing.

The surname Whitley was first seen after the Norman Conquest and would have been given to someone who had lived or was associated with one of the numerous settlements with this name. The settlements themselves receiving the name after them consisting of a clearing in a wood or a thin wood/meadow.

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Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Whitley Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Whitley family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 441
Labourer 45
Agricultural Labourer 38
Dress Maker 30
Worsted Spinner 26
Worsted Weaver 25
Domestic Servant 21
Coal Miner 20
General Servant 19
Annuitant 15
House Keeper 15
Servant 14
Carpenter 14
Tailor 13
Stone Mason 12
Farm Servant 11
Collier 11
Cotton Spinner 11
Laundress 10
Servant Domestic 9
Farm Labourer 9
Mill Hand 9
Carter 9
Spinner Worsted 9
Cotton Weaver 8

Whitley Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Wheatley 75% 43,277
2 Whiteley 88% 39,129
3 Whitley 100% 21,987
4 Whatley 86% 8,924
5 Wheatly 57% 3,317
6 Whitely 71% 3,217
7 Whateley 75% 1,132
8 Whittley 88% 684
9 Witley 86% 550
10 Whitly 86% 503
11 Whately 57% 313
12 Whetley 86% 178
13 Wheetley 75% 138
14 Whatly 71% 111

Did you know?

The surname Whitley is the 3rd most popular variant of Wheatley.

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