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.

Discover how your Whitley ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Whitley Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Whitley family

Profession Census Frequency
School 284
Private Means 33
Coal Miner Hewer 25
General Servant (domestic) 23
Labourer 19
General Labourer 16
Farm Labourer 16
At Home 15
Farmer 15
Clerk 11
Grocer 10
Dressmaker 10
None 10
Weaver 10
Worker 10
Carman 9
Joiner 9
Domestic Servant 8
Scholar 8
Carter 7
Assisting In Business 7
Laundry 6
Tailor 6
Waggoner On Farm 6
Worsted Spinner 6

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.

Search for the Whitley family