Whitney is an Old English surname that derives from the location of Whitney in Herefordshire, England.[1] It was first mentioned in the Domesday Book with the spelling Witenie. The name probably refers to the River Wye which runs through the area and which can become a torrent when heavy rains in the Welsh mountains cause it to swell. This surname has also been used as a first name for both males and females, and many locations around the world have been named Whitney after individuals with this name.

Notable people

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Fictional characters

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  • Geraldine Weldon Whitney Saxon (active 1970–1984), Grand Dame widow to Senator Gordon Whitney and crime boss Anthony Saxon from The Edge of Night

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Cutter, William Richard; Adams, William Frederick (1910). Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts. Lewis historical Publishing Company.