Fun Facts About the Name Whitlee
- 943 babies named Whitlee: U.S. records list 943 babies given the name Whitlee from 1880 through 2025. Even 13 boys received the name Whitlee - about 1 boy for every 72 girls.
What Does the Name Whitlee Mean?
Whitlee is a modern respelling of the English place name and surname Whitley. That name comes from Old English hwīt, meaning "white" or "bright," and lēah, meaning "wood," "clearing," or "meadow." Taken literally, the compound describes a light-colored or open clearing in a wood.
The second element is the same lēah that appears in many English place names ending in -ley, -leigh, or -lee; the -lee of Whitlee is a spelling variation of that element rather than a separate word with its own meaning. The name's language of origin is Old English, while its use as a personal name belongs mainly to English-speaking countries, above all the United States.
Whitlee Name History & Origins
Whitley is an old English place name. Villages and parishes called Whitley exist in several counties, including Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Cheshire, and the name also appears in compounds such as Whitley Bay. In the medieval period, English families frequently took surnames from the place where they lived, so Whitley became a hereditary surname meaning, in effect, "the person from Whitley." The standard spelling of the place-name element is -ley; -lee and -leigh are alternative spellings of the same word.
Whitlee as a given name is a recent form. It fits the long-standing American practice of turning surnames and place names into first names, and it uses the -ee ending that is common in modern girls' names. Because that respelling is recent, the given name's development is essentially the story of the surname: an Old English place name, then a family name, and finally a first name written in a newer spelling.
How Popular is the Name Whitlee?
Whitlee has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #3,039 in 2024.
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 | #3,247 | 49 | 0.0030% |
| 2024 | #3,039 | 54 | 0.0033% |
| 2023 | #3,042 | 55 | 0.0034% |
| 2022 | #3,588 | 44 | 0.0027% |
| 2021 | #3,209 | 51 | 0.0031% |
| 2020 | #3,773 | 39 | 0.0024% |
| 2019 | #3,083 | 53 | 0.0032% |
| 2018 | #3,288 | 49 | 0.0029% |
| 2017 | #3,139 | 52 | 0.0030% |
| 2016 | #4,625 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2015 | #3,758 | 41 | 0.0023% |
| 2014 | #3,919 | 39 | 0.0022% |
| 2013 | #4,330 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 2012 | #5,247 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2011 | #6,836 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2010 | #7,202 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2009 | #10,638 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #6,549 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2007 | #11,582 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #10,578 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #12,960 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #8,698 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #9,651 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2002 | #7,806 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #8,729 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #11,756 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #14,355 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #9,244 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #16,078 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #9,561 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #13,344 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #8,783 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #5,944 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1992 | #8,052 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #4,998 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1990 | #4,688 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1989 | #4,012 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1988 | #5,059 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,616 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #12,241 | 6 | 0.0003% |
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 Whitlee 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 are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Whitlee's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Whitlee's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.