White

White
Recorded as White, Wight, Whyte, and the unusual Whight, this is an English surname of the most ancient origins. It has a number of possible origins. In the single spellings of White or Wita, it appears in the very earliest surviving registers such as the famous Anglo-Saxon Chronicles of the pre 9th century a.d. Whilst translating as white, the early name referred either to a baby, one who was "unblemished", or it may have been for some nameholders an ethnic term given to a Viking or Anglo-Saxon, who were pale in hair and complexion compared with the original native Celts, who were dark. Another possible origin is residential. If so this could describe somebody who lived at a "wiht", generally regarded as being the bend of a river, but in some areas of the country could describe a stretch of land suitable for grazing. It could also mean "The wait", as in the village name of White in Devon, which originally, it is claimed, denoted a place suitable for an ambush! Lastly the name can be Huguenot 17th century. Many French people called 'Blanc' fled France after 1685, and in England they changed their name to White. Early examples of the surname recording taken from surving charters and egisters include: Ordgar se Wite of Somerset in the year 1070, Walter le Wytte in London in 1284, and William le Wytt, in the Subsidy Rolls of York in 1327. Amongst many interesting recordings is that of William White, who sailed on the famous ship "Mayflower" in 1620. Sadly he lived only a short time and was recorded as being buried at "Elizabeth Cittie, Virginea" in 1624. The Ancient and Feudal Arms of England show that a Sir John White (also spelt Whyght) in the time of King Edward 11 (1307-1327), was listed as having fought at the battle of Boroughbridge in Yorkshire 1322, when the Scots were defeated. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Alwin Wit. This was dated 1086, in the Domesday Book for Hampshire, during the reign of King William 1, known as "The Conqueror", 1066 - 1087.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • White — (hw[imac]t), a. [Compar. {Whiter} (hw[imac]t [ e]r); superl. {Whitest}.] [OE. whit, AS. hw[imac]t; akin to OFries. and OS. hw[=i]t, D. wit, G. weiss, OHG. w[=i]z, hw[=i]z, Icel. hv[=i]tr, Sw. hvit, Dan. hvid, Goth. hweits, Lith. szveisti, to make …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • white — [hwīt, wīt] adj. whiter, whitest [ME hwit < OE, akin to Ger weiss, ON hvitr, MDu wit < IE * kweid , to gleam, bright, white > WHEAT, OSlav švěšta, a light, candle] 1. having the color of pure snow or milk; of the color of radiated,… …   English World dictionary

  • White — White, n. [1913 Webster] 1. The color of pure snow; one of the natural colors of bodies, yet not strictly a color, but a composition of all colors; the opposite of black; whiteness. See the Note under {Color}, n., 1. [1913 Webster] Finely attired …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • White- — (бело ), a prefix used by Bolsheviks to designate their real and alleged enemies of all sorts, by analogy with the White Army.*White Guardist ( белогвардеец ): a member of the White Guard . The members of the White movement never applied the term …   Wikipedia

  • White — White, José Blanco White, Patrick * * * (as used in expressions) Bourke White, Margaret Mary White White Horse, valle de White Mountains White Sands National Monument White, E(lwyn) B(rooks) White, James (Springer) y Ellen (Gould) White, John …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • WHITE (D.) — Dick WHITE 1906 1993 Figure légendaire des services de contre espionnage britanniques certains affirment que le romancier Ian Fleming s’en serait inspiré pour créer le personnage de James Bond , sir Dick White naît en Angleterre, dans le Kent, le …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • white — O.E. hwit, from P.Gmc. *khwitaz (Cf. O.S., O.Fris. hwit, O.N. hvitr, Du. wit, O.H.G. hwiz, Ger. weiß, Goth. hveits), from PIE *kwintos/*kwindos bright (Cf. Skt. svetah white; O.C.S. sviteti to shin …   Etymology dictionary

  • White — bezeichnet: einen Familiennamen, siehe White (Familienname) White Airways, eine portugiesische Charterfluggesellschaft White Hand Gang, irische Bande in Brooklyn von etwa 1900–1925 White Motor Company, US Hersteller von LKW, Automobilen,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • WHITE (P.) — WHITE PATRICK (1912 1990) Prix Nobel de littérature en 1973, Patrick White est sans doute l’écrivain australien le plus connu. Issu d’une famille «patricienne» (son père était grand propriétaire terrien), il appartient à cette classe sociale qui… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • white — ► ADJECTIVE 1) of the colour of milk or fresh snow, due to the reflection of all visible rays of light. 2) very pale. 3) relating to a human group having light coloured skin, especially of European ancestry. 4) morally or spiritually pure. 5)… …   English terms dictionary

  • WHITE (L. A.) — WHITE LESLIE ALVIN (1900 1975) Le plus remarquable représentant de l’école néo évolutionniste américaine. L’anthropologue Leslie A. White suivit d’abord un itinéraire intellectuel complexe qui lui donna une formation largement encyclopédique;… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

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