Whitted
A surname most likely from a nickname or descriptive byname based on “white,” suggesting someone with pale hair, fair coloring, or a light-colored mark.
The #7,671 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 71,304 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Whitted is best understood as an English surname built on the word white, probably from a nickname for a person with fair hair, pale complexion, or a noticeably light feature. The ending -ed may reflect a dialectal or diminutive-style surname form, or a historical spelling variant that developed from an older byname. In practice, it belongs with the large group of English surnames derived from color terms and physical description.
History
The surname is found mainly in English-speaking countries, especially the United States, where it appears to have been carried by families of English or British Isles origin. Like many descriptive surnames, it may have arisen independently in more than one place from similar nicknames, so not every modern Whitted family necessarily shares a single ancestor. The form is relatively uncommon and is often treated as a variant alongside other white-based surnames such as White.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it is so close to the very common surname White, Whitted can sometimes be a clue to older regional spelling habits or family-specific phonetic spellings.