Whitney

Whitney - A very unique female name

Whitney appeared on the charts for the first time in 1945 on position #1876. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Whitney and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Whitney? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Whitney. The baby girl name Whitney was given to 185 baby girls in 2025, ranking #1047 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 7,046 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Whitney peaked in popularity 40 years ago in 1986 on position 32.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Whitney, 1-5?

Whitney is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Whitney is currently topping the baby name charts in Maine at position #256 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,738.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Whitney is where you live.

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Whitney origin and meaning

Transferred surname (English)

A transferred surname and place name in Old English — hwit 'white' + eg 'island': 'white island'

Whitney began as a Herefordshire place name, 'white island' — land by a pale river — and became a surname, then a girl's first name in the 20th century. It peaked spectacularly in 1986, the year after Whitney Houston's debut album made her a superstar, and has fallen ever since, though nearly a hundred thousand American Whitneys carry it. The singer remains the name's defining bearer.

Attested etymology

Whitney is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Whitney, pop culture references for the name Whitney and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Whitney

We've found the following names that sound similar to Whitney, sorted by popularity.

Whittney / Wateen / Whitnee / Whitnie / Whitni / Witney / Witten /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Whitney

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Whitney a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Whitney?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

WIT-nee · /ˈwɪtni/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Whitnee — A rare phonetic spelling
• Whitni — A trimmed spelling variant

Famous bearers

• Whitney Houston — American singer, one of the best-selling and most awarded vocalists of all time (1963–2012) Contemporary
• Whitney Port — American television personality and fashion designer known from The Hills and The City (b. 1985) Contemporary

Style

SurnamePlace name

Why parents choose it

Parents choosing Whitney now are often honouring Houston's voice or a family surname, accepting a name at its quietest point in forty years. It feels preppy, bright and 80s-nostalgic.

Worth knowing

• Whitney Houston is an overwhelming namesake — the comparison is automatic
• Peaked in 1986 and long falling, so it reads as a mum-generation name