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Whitney as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Whitney

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The baby name Whitney is a Girl name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced WIT-nee.

Whitney is English, Old English in Origin.

Gender: Girl
Syllables: 2
Origin: English, Old English
Pronunciation: WIT-nee

What is the meaning of the name Whitney ?

The baby name Whitney is a girl name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced WIT-nee.

Whitney is English, Old English in Origin.

Whitney began as an English locative surname from Whitney-on-Wye in Herefordshire. Its earliest recorded form is Domesday Book Witenie (1086), an Old English place-name built from hwīt, white, and ēg, island or dry ground in marshland. The full sense is from the white island, probably referring to pale river land or an island-like tract beside the River Wye rather than a literal sea island.

As a hereditary surname, Whitney belonged to families associated with the Herefordshire parish; John Whitney, who emigrated to Massachusetts in 1635, helped establish the name in New England. It later moved into given-name use for boys and girls, especially in North America. U.S. records show male use before the twentieth century, while female use rose sharply in the 1960s and 1980s, reinforced by public figures such as Whitney Houston. Spellings include Whittney and Witney; medieval records also show Witteneye and Whytene.

Whitney has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Whitney

Whitney Houston Actor · Born 1963 · United States Whitney Houston was an American singer and actress, best known for her powerful voice and hit songs like 'I Will Always Love You' and 'Greatest Love of All'. She also starred in the film 'The Bodyguard'. Whitney Cummings Actor · Born 1982 · United States Whitney Cummings is an American comedian and actress best known for creating and starring in the sitcom 'Whitney'. She also co-created the hit show '2 Broke Girls' and has released several stand-up specials, including 'Can I Touch It?'. Whitney Able Actor · Born 1982 · United States Whitney Able is an American actress best known for her role in the film 'Monsters'. She has also appeared in movies like 'All the Boys Love Mandy Lane' and 'A Walk Among the Tombstones'.
Whitney Port Actor · Born 1985 · United States Whitney Port is best known for starring on the reality series The Hills. She’s an American television personality, fashion designer, and author who rose to fame in 2006 when she joined the show alongside Lauren Conrad, Heidi Montag, and Audrina Patridge.

Whitney – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2015 #1 — 945
HT Girls 0 #22 2 950
NA 0 #31 3 2,537
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
SI 0 #80 1 1,612
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
JM 0 #88 6 3,714
TW 0 #99 5 4,523
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
BW Girls 0 #135 14 4,216
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
CR 0 #140 19 5,526
MT Girls 0 #140 12 3,773
PR Girls 0 #166 2 3,171
Sweden Girls 2014 #180 2 1,576
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
NA Girls 0 #184 41 7,146
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
LU Girls 0 #189 2 4,850
JM Girls 0 #194 66 7,507
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
AO Girls 0 #198 12 4,575
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
MO Girls 0 #238 14 7,056
GH 0 #246 3 5,396
JP Girls 0 #248 4 6,592
EC Girls 0 #258 1 3,650
TW Girls 0 #263 14 8,139
Canada Girls 2024 #264 22 2,795
NG 0 #270 3 5,926
SG 0 #280 3 11,010
JM Boys 0 #290 4 6,876
GH Girls 0 #297 28 6,973
CN Girls 0 #316 34 8,829
MY 0 #319 12 12,352
DK Girls 0 #327 3 7,429
HK 0 #327 22 8,483
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
CN Boys 0 #331 1 9,639
MU Girls 0 #333 19 8,539
QA Girls 0 #336 8 15,378
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
JO Girls 0 #338 2 7,570
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
MU Boys 0 #369 1 8,477
NL 0 #378 14 2,481
France Girls 2021 #388 18 3,185
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
PH Boys 0 #406 3 11,440
ZA 0 #411 37 14,421
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
OM Girls 0 #423 2 15,987
PH Girls 0 #424 6 13,098
MX 0 #443 3 8,339
PA Girls 0 #457 25 9,861
CR Girls 0 #468 65 11,342
PT Girls 0 #468 4 7,952
RU Girls 0 #488 11 11,913
GT Girls 0 #496 10 7,500
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
PA Boys 0 #504 2 9,305
CO 0 #506 5 7,768
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
CM Girls 0 #516 25 11,671
IQ Girls 0 #524 2 11,303
RU Boys 0 #525 2 12,621
UY Girls 0 #535 2 6,731
AE Girls 0 #541 13 20,968
HK Girls 0 #542 74 16,104
PS Girls 0 #542 6 10,981
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
HK Boys 0 #555 3 12,905
KW Girls 0 #556 6 19,177
SG Girls 0 #556 31 18,916
CM Boys 0 #572 4 12,054
ZA Girls 0 #582 739 25,928
BH 0 #586 2 17,937
IL Girls 0 #642 4 11,648
BO Girls 0 #646 6 9,488
NG Girls 0 #646 142 15,093
IN Girls 0 #653 2 13,121
United States Girls 2024 #680 238 8,487
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
NL Girls 0 #702 259 5,933
Finland Girls 2026 #734 5 3,895
SG Boys 0 #738 2 17,960
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
BR Boys 0 #777 9 12,213
Germany Girls 0 #818 21 4,949
CL Girls 0 #828 24 14,098
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
United States Boys 2024 #880 13 7,044
PE Girls 0 #909 35 14,861
MY Girls 0 #916 79 24,821
BR Girls 0 #924 18 12,708
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
PE Boys 0 #925 2 14,506
SA Girls 0 #926 10 25,931
Spain Girls 0 #972 12 5,561
CO Boys 0 #977 5 15,656
NG Boys 0 #998 4 16,906
EG Girls 0 #1,005 5 14,742
CO Girls 0 #1,008 71 16,140
AE Boys 0 #1,141 3 22,615
ZA Boys 0 #1,144 35 25,619
MX Girls 0 #1,162 22 17,781
MY Boys 0 #1,180 3 25,439
MA 0 #1,195 5 20,986
DZ 0 #1,232 3 20,130
TR 0 #1,249 6 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,377 70 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,687 5 28,008

Whitney is popular in 68 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Canada
United States
Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom

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People also ask about Whitney

Whitney is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Whitney is a 2 syllable name, pronounced WIT-nee.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Whittney, Witney, Witenie, Witteneye and Whytene.
Yes, very popular — Whitney ranked #1 in Ireland in 2015, and appears in official birth registries across 8 countries.
Whitney ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2015).
Yes — 4 notable people named Whitney are in our database, including Whitney Houston (Actor), Whitney Cummings (Actor), Whitney Able (Actor).