Whitney is an English name that means “white island’. Whitney is also an Old English surname. It is a unisex name although it is more commonly used as a feminine name. Whitney surged to popularity in the 80’s and 90’s due in part to famous singer Whitney Houston.
Meaning of the name Whitney:
Old English: white island
Origin of the name Whitney:
Whitney is a unisex English baby name that means “white island”. Whitney was an Old English surname before becoming popular as a given name.
Symbolism of the name Whitney:
Whitney was originally an Old English surname that referred to people who were from the settlement Whitney in Herefordshire, England.
Style of the name Whitney:
traditional
Gender of the name Whitney:
Whitney is a name chosen for both boys and girls.
Pronunciation of the name Whitney:
WIT-nee
Number of syllables in the name Whitney:
two
Emotion evoked from the name Whitney:
Whitney evokes feelings of strength and passion.
Alternative spellings for the name Whitney:
Witney, Whitny, Witenie
Nicknames for the name Whitney:
- Whit
- Whitey
- Neya
- Ney
Popularity of the name Whitney:
According to the Social Security Administration, Whitney is a popular unisex baby name. As a girl’s name, Whitney entered the top 1000 baby names in 1962 and was in the top 100 1985 to 1994. As a boy’s name, Whitney was in the top 1000 baby names sporadically from 1900 to 1961 before it appeared every year until 1988.
Related names for the name Whitney:
Great middle names for the name Whitney and their meanings:
Boy:
- Paget (page)
- Cedric (bounty)
- Evander (archer)
- Alistair (defending men)
- Edmund (fortunate protector)
- Benedict (blessed)
- Aaron (high mountain, exalted)
- Joshua (God is my salvation)
Girl:
- Jane (God is gracious)
- Emma (universal)
- Isabella (pledged to God)
- Sofia (wisdom)
- Sienna (orange-red color clay)
- Chloe (young green shoots)
- Zoe (life)
- Skye (from the Isle of Skye)
Famous people with the name Whitney:
- Whitney Houston (American pop singer and actress)
- Whitney Cummings (American comedienne and actress)
- Whitney Duncan (American country music singer)
- Whitney Thompson (American model)
- Whitney Engen (American soccer player)
Whitneys in popular culture:
- Whitney Hughes (film, “Benji”)
- Whitney Dean (television, “Eastenders”)
- Whitney (video games/television, “Pokemon” series)
- Whitney Russell (television, “Passions”)
- Whitney Greene (literature, “Just Listen” by Sarah Dessen)