Whitman is an English surname made up of Old English elements hwit (white) and man (man) meaning “white man”. It might have originated as a nickname for someone who had white hair or for someone who had a pallid complexion, or even as an occupational name for someone who was the servant of someone nicknamed White.
Origin: English
Meaning: “white man”
Variants:
- Whiteman (English)
- Witman (English, German)
- Weissmann (German, Ashkenazic Jewish)
- Weissman (German, Ashkenazic Jewish)
A History of Surnames 