The English Whitaker surname comes from the Old English term of ‘hwit’ which means white and ‘acer’ which meant the land or fields, so meaning whiteacre or white field. Variations for spelling Whitaker include Whitacre, Whittaker and Whittakers. In England the Whitaker surname is all across England and Wales in every county. The highest numbers are in Yorkshire and Lancashire. In Scotland the Whitaker surname is found in Midlothian, West Lothian, Ayrshire and Perthshire. Within the United States the individuals with the Whitaker surname originate from New York, Kentucky, North Carolina, Texas, California, Tennessee, Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Famous: Damon Whitaker (actor), Herman Whitaker (writer), Lance Whitaker (professional boxer), Norman T. Whitaker (master chess player), Alexander Whitaker (minister of Jamestown who married John Rolfe and Pocahontas), William Whitaker (pioneer and war veteran during Florida’s Seminole Wars), Pernell Whitaker (professional boxer) and Johnny Whitaker (actor).