Whitney

English
"white island"

Whitney Origin and Meaning

The name Whitney is a boy's name of English origin meaning "white island".

Deriving from an English locational surname meaning "white island", Whitney was in rare but regular use for boys in the US until the early 1960s, when actress Whitney Blake popularized it for girls. It received a further big boost on the girls' side in the 1980s, thanks to singer Whitney Houston. Now falling rapidly down the rankings, it could be time to reclaim this one for the boys, if only as a neat way to cool-guy nickname Whit.

# 895 in the US

Whitney Rank in US Top 1000

# 1451 on Nameberry

Whitney Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Whitney Popularity

Famous People Named Whitney

  • Whitney Moore Young Jr.
    American civil rights activist
  • Whitney Mercilus
    American NFL football player
  • Whitney Willard Straight
    American racing driver, aviator, and businessman
  • Whitney Tilson
    American investor, author, and philanthropist
  • Whitney Wesley "Whit" Haydn
    American magician
  • Whitney Smith Jr.
    American vexillologist and scholar of flags
  • John Whitney "Whit" Stillman
    American writer
  • Eli Whitney
    American inventor

Whitney in Pop Culture

  • Whitney Conway Ellsworth
    character on TV's "Deadwood"