Fun Facts About the Name Whit
- More than 1 thousand babies named Whit: U.S. records list 1,287 babies given the name Whit from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Whit Mean?
Whit is an English masculine given name. Its usual core element is Old English hwīt, meaning 'white.' The name is often a short form of Whitney, but it also stands for other names beginning with Whit-, such as Whitaker, Whitfield, Whitcomb, and Whitman. The English surname Whit is generally treated as a variant of White, likewise from hwīt. In surname use, that word could describe a person with white hair or a pale complexion, or a person who lived near a white landmark, such as a white building or cliff.
When Whit shortens Whitney, it inherits the meaning of the parent place name: Old English hwīt 'white' combined with īeg 'island,' often explained as 'white island.' When it shortens Whitaker, the first element is not hwīt but Old English hwǣte 'wheat,' joined with æcer 'field,' so the source name means 'wheat field.' Whitfield and Whitcomb use hwīt with feld 'open land' and cumb 'valley,' respectively. The common noun whit, meaning 'a small amount,' comes from a different Old English word, wiht 'creature, thing,' and is not the source of the personal name.
Whit Name History & Origins
Whit is an English short form and surname-derived given name. It comes from two related sources: the English surname Whit and shortened forms of longer names beginning with Whit-. The surname Whit is an English family name generally explained as a variant of White. In the Middle Ages, English surnames often used whit as a byname for a person with white hair or a pale face, or for a person associated with a white landmark. The same element appears in many English place names, which is how it entered surnames such as Whitney and Whitfield.
As a given name, Whit is most closely tied to Whitney. Whitney began as an English surname from a place in Herefordshire; the place name is usually derived from Old English hwīt 'white' and īeg 'island.' The surname was later used as a first name, and Whit became a familiar short form of it. The name also serves as a short form of Whitaker, Whitfield, Whitcomb, Whitman, and similar names, and it can be given directly from the surname Whit. In practice, Whit is often a nickname rather than the full given name. It is distinct from the noun whit (a small amount), which comes from Old English wiht and has no etymological connection to the name.
How Popular is the Name Whit?
Whit recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #645 in 1886.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,958 | 79 | 0.0046% |
| 2024 | #2,110 | 71 | 0.0041% |
| 2023 | #2,412 | 57 | 0.0033% |
| 2022 | #2,558 | 54 | 0.0031% |
| 2021 | #2,769 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 2020 | #2,841 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 2019 | #3,254 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 2018 | #3,601 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2017 | #3,668 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2016 | #3,770 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2015 | #3,874 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2014 | #5,980 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2013 | #6,225 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2012 | #5,029 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2011 | #5,418 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #8,751 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #6,074 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2008 | #7,676 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 2007 | #7,559 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #7,968 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #6,614 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #13,144 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #10,844 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #10,614 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #10,502 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #9,088 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #9,861 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #6,391 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #7,242 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #7,788 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #6,506 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #4,956 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #7,257 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #6,220 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #6,039 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #6,736 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #5,570 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #4,178 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1973 | #5,083 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #3,138 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #3,277 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1969 | #3,587 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #3,668 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1966 | #4,525 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #4,419 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #3,040 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #4,037 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #3,632 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #2,704 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #4,578 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1959 | #4,555 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1958 | #2,639 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1957 | #2,371 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1956 | #2,790 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #4,384 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1954 | #2,735 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1953 | #2,526 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1952 | #2,508 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1951 | #4,238 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #3,009 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1947 | #3,369 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1945 | #2,988 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1944 | #3,419 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1943 | #2,956 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1942 | #4,030 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1941 | #3,986 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1940 | #2,666 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1938 | #3,169 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1935 | #2,717 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1934 | #4,190 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1933 | #4,136 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1932 | #3,355 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1931 | #3,091 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1930 | #4,530 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1929 | #3,548 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1928 | #3,069 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1927 | #3,770 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1926 | #3,372 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1925 | #3,148 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1924 | #1,891 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1923 | #2,220 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1922 | #4,296 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #3,856 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1920 | #2,597 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1919 | #2,380 | 13 | 0.0013% |
| 1918 | #3,089 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1917 | #2,557 | 11 | 0.0012% |
| 1916 | #2,536 | 11 | 0.0012% |
| 1915 | #3,069 | 8 | 0.0009% |
| 1914 | #2,450 | 9 | 0.0014% |
| 1913 | #1,942 | 10 | 0.0020% |
| 1911 | #1,734 | 6 | 0.0027% |
| 1909 | #1,673 | 5 | 0.0030% |
| 1906 | #1,407 | 5 | 0.0038% |
| 1905 | #1,089 | 7 | 0.0053% |
| 1903 | #908 | 8 | 0.0067% |
| 1902 | #1,312 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1900 | #1,501 | 5 | 0.0033% |
| 1895 | #1,237 | 5 | 0.0043% |
| 1894 | #1,231 | 5 | 0.0043% |
| 1892 | #1,249 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1891 | #764 | 8 | 0.0079% |
| 1888 | #1,026 | 6 | 0.0050% |
| 1886 | #645 | 10 | 0.0090% |
| 1884 | #968 | 6 | 0.0052% |
| 1883 | #885 | 6 | 0.0057% |
| 1882 | #1,092 | 5 | 0.0044% |
| 1881 | #864 | 6 | 0.0060% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Whit Shapes Your Personality and Life?
To express itself, you must follow the divine law of love. You have great persistence and hate to give up. You are a good mixer, charming, magnetic and intuitive. The spirituality is the key to success. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Whit's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Whit's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.