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Whitman Family History

Whitman Name Meaning

English (southern): from the Middle English personal name Whytman (Old English Hwītmann from hwīt ‘white’ + mann ‘man’). Compare White 1 and also Wightman with which this surname was probably confused.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Shipman, Wainman, Waitman, Titman, Weitzman, Weitman, Westman

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Whitman family from?

You can see how Whitman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whitman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whitman families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 354 Whitman families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 67% of all the recorded Whitman's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Whitman families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whitman surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Whitman ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Whitman. 49% of Whitman men worked as a Farmer and 25% of Whitman women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whitman were Labourer and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Whitman | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    49%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Merchant
    7%
  • Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    25%
  • Student
    14%
  • School Teacher
    14%
  • Stenographer
    11%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Whitman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 131,000 census records available for the last name Whitman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whitman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Whitman

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Whitman. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Whitman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 25,000 military records available for the last name Whitman. For the veterans among your Whitman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Whitman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Whitman family history

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What is the average Whitman lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Whitman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Whitman in 1941 was 47, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Whitman

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Whitman family tree

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