Whitworth
A habitational surname meaning “white farmstead,” from places named Whitworth in England.
The #3,647 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 31,673 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Whitworth comes from the name of a place, most notably Whitworth in Lancashire. The name is generally explained as Old English hwīt “white” + worð or worth, meaning an enclosed homestead, farmstead, or settlement, so the literal sense is “white farmstead.” Early spellings such as Whyteword, Wyteworth, and Whiteworth reflect the same meaning in older forms.
History
The surname appears in medieval records as people were identified by their home place. The Lancashire Whitworth, near Rochdale, seems to have been especially important in the later history of the name, and Harrison specifically notes its strong presence there. Like many English locational surnames, it spread beyond its original district as bearers moved elsewhere.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Harrison records medieval forms of the place-name itself, showing how surname spellings often shifted before later standardization.
From the historical record
“WHITWORTH (Eng.) Bel. to Whitworth = the White Farmstead [O.E. hw{t+ war's] Whitworth, Lane, was Whyteword in the 13th cent., Wyteworth and Whiteworth in the 14th. WHITYER = Whittier, q.v. WHOLESWORTH for Holdsworlh, q.v. WHORMBY for Wharmby, q.v.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)