Whiteman
Usually a nickname for a fair or pale man, though it can also be a variant of Wightman.
The #4,645 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 40,401 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In English, Whiteman is normally understood quite literally as 'white man,' from Old English hwit 'white' plus man 'man.' Early surname writers also treated it as a nickname, probably first applied to someone with a pale complexion or light hair. A secondary explanation is that some bearers may come from the related surname Wightman, with spelling shifted over time.
History
The name appears in English records as a straightforward descriptive byname and later as an inherited surname. Nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century surname dictionaries also note that some forms of Whiteman may reflect Wightman rather than the color term. The surname is found in Britain and later in the United States, where it remains relatively uncommon.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Old surname dictionaries sometimes grouped Whiteman with other color-based nicknames such as Blackman and Greenman.
From the historical record
“elf -|- Idc, play, sport, etc.] WHITEMAN I = White (q.v.) -(- man. 2 for WIghtman, q.v. WHITEMORE (Eng.) i Dweller at the White Moor [O.E. hwit + m6r] 2 occ. for the A.-Sax. pers. name Wihtmcbr = Sprite-Famous [O.E. wiht, sprite, elf -f mckre, famous, glorious]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)