Witherspoon (surname)
| Witherspoon | |
|---|---|
| Ethnicity | English |
| Current region | England and its former colonies |
| Earlier spellings | Wetherspong/Wetherspang |
| Etymology |
Middle English 'wether' - sheep or ram + 'spong'/'spang' - narrow strip of land (northern English dialect) |
| Place of origin | England |
The Witherspoon surname originates in Scotland contrary to popular belief. It was widely thought it was an English name but can be traced back to Renfrewshire and further still to Dal Riata where the translations vairey. It is composed of the elements 'wether' and 'spong/spang' which are taken from Middle English. Originally, Witherspoon was a place name meaning 'a narrow strip of land where sheep dwell', however the village has been lost on maps.
Previously it was thought that the surname was most likely to come from County Durham, North East England as in the 1881 census, County Durham had far more inhabitants named Witherspoon than any other county. In particular, you are 1422 times more likely to find a Witherspoon in the village of Birtley, County Durham than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, however as mentioned it's found in ancient Renfrewshire and further back still to Dal Riata.
With the British colonisation of many parts of the world, the name has spread to Australia, United States, New Zealand and Canada, among others, and now there are more Witherspoons in the U.S. than in their home country.
List
Notable people with the name include:
Athletics
- Ahkello Witherspoon (born 1995), American football player
- Brian Witherspoon (born 1985), American football player
- Chazz Witherspoon (born 1981), heavyweight boxer
- Derrick Witherspoon (born 1971), former American football and Canadian football player
- Jim Witherspoon (born 1951), retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman
- Reggie Witherspoon (basketball coach), head coach of the University at Buffalo men's basketball team
- Reggie Witherspoon (athlete) (born 1985), American sprinter
- Sophia Witherspoon (born 1969), former WNBA basketball player
- Tim Witherspoon (born 1957), American boxer twice recognized as Heavyweight Champion of the World
- Will Witherspoon (born 1980), American football player
Entertainers
- Cora Witherspoon (1890–1957), American actress
- Dane Witherspoon (1957–2014), American actor
- Herbert Witherspoon (1873–1935), American bass singer and opera manager
- Jimmy Witherspoon (1920–1997), American blues singer
- John Witherspoon (actor) (born 1942), American comedy actor
- Lajon Witherspoon (born 1972), vocalist for the Atlanta-based alternative metal band Sevendust
- Reese Witherspoon (born 1976), American actress and film producer
Politicians
- Buddy Witherspoon, former National Executive Committeeman of the South Carolina Republican Party
- James Hervey Witherspoon, Jr., (1810–1865), Confederate States of America politician
- John Witherspoon (1723–1794) clergyman and signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence
- Doctor John Witherspoon, a bronze sculpture in Washington D.C. by William Couper of John Witherspoon
- Robert Witherspoon (1767–1837), U.S. Representative from South Carolina
- Samuel Andrew Witherspoon (1855–1915), U.S. Representative from Mississippi
Others
- Frances M. Witherspoon, (1886–1973), American writer and activist
- Gary Witherspoon, Professor of American Indian studies at the University of Washington
- Sarah Witherspoon, American mathematician