Boy · #3,733 in 2026

White

White is the lightest color and is achromatic. It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on television and computer screens is created by a mixture of red, blue, and green light. The color white can be given with white pigments, especially titanium dioxide.

Current Rank
#3,733
Peak Rank
#1,975 (1914)
Total Babies
31
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1900
First Year
1947
Last Year
1914
Peak Year
#1975
Peak Rank
31
Total Count
5
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of White

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

White is the lightest color and is achromatic. It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on television and computer screens is created by a mixture of red, blue, and green light. The color white can be given with white pigments, especially titanium dioxide.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The word white continues Old English hwīt , ultimately from a Proto-Germanic * hʷītaz also reflected in Old High German (h)wîz , Old Norse hvítr , and Gothic 𐍈𐌴𐌹𐍄𐍃 ( ƕeits ). The root is ultimately from Proto-Indo-European language * kʷid- , surviving also in Sanskrit śveta "to be white or bright" and Slavonic světŭ "light". The Icelandic word for white, hvítur , is directly derived from the Old Norse form of the word hvítr . Proto-Germanic also had the word * blankaz ("white, bright, blinding"), borrowed into Late Latin as * blancus , which provided the source for Romance words for "whit

The Story of White

White first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1900, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1914, when 11 Whites were born — ranking #1,975 that year. As of 2026, White ranks #3,733 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 31 Whites have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like White

Phonetically similar names — useful when White is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Wight
  • Wite
  • Whyte
  • Yte
  • Weit
  • Wyte
  • Wait
  • What
  • Wet
  • Wide
  • Weight
  • Wheat

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about White

What does the name White mean?
White is the lightest color and is achromatic. It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on television and computer screens is created by a mixture of red, blue, and green light. The color white can be given with white pigments, especially titanium dioxide.
How popular is White in 2026?
In 2026, White ranks #3,733 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was White most popular?
White reached its peak popularity in 1914, ranking #1,975 that year with 11 babies given the name.
Is White a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, White is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with White?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with White include Ladislav, Brainard, Kert. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name White

White is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1900 and has accumulated 31 births in the dataset. White's peak popularity came in 1914 when it ranked #1,975. Use the chart and map above to compare White's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.