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Whitehead Family History

Whitehead Surname Meaning

English: nickname from Middle English whit ‘white’ + hed ‘head’ (Old English hwít + hēafod) denoting a person with white or fair hair. Occasionally perhaps from Middle English whīt ‘white’ + hod ‘hood’ (Old English hwīt + hōd).

Irish: adopted by erroneous translation of Ó Ceanndubháin ‘descendant of the little black-headed one’ (see Canavan) as if from Gaelic ceann ‘head’ + bán ‘white’.

Americanized form (translation into English) of German Weisshaupt (see Weishaupt) or Weisskopf (see Weiskopf).

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


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Where is the Whitehead family from?

You can see how Whitehead families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whitehead family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whitehead families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 7,164 Whitehead families living in Lancashire. This was about 36% of all the recorded Whitehead's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Whitehead families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whitehead surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Whitehead ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Whitehead. 7% of Whitehead men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Whitehead women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whitehead were Bricklayer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Whitehead | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Bricklayer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Whitehead family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 517,000 census records available for the last name Whitehead. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whitehead census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Whitehead

Passenger Lists

There are 54,000 immigration records available for the last name Whitehead. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Whitehead immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 56,000 military records available for the last name Whitehead. For the veterans among your Whitehead ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Whitehead military records

You've only scratched the surface of Whitehead family history

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What is the average Whitehead lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Whitehead life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Whitehead in 1941 was 41, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Whitehead

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Whitehead ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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