Where did Washington go?
 

This may not be the right spot for this, but a rather trivial question that has plagued me since Sociology Class in college last year.

One day we were discussing last names, and their origins and nationality, etc. Well one of the black students had the last name of Washington, and he posed the question "Where did all the white washingtons go?"

So I'm posing that question to TFP, because the entire class, and the teacher were stumped, yet we all knew of black Washingtons, and no white Washingtons.

I've never thought about that. I'll look into that, but I can't guerentee any answers. I could guess, but I'd rather have sources.

Yea, I could guess as well, but I hadn't found any sources. Better luck to you. I mean, maybe it's a locale thing, and doesn't hold true elsewhere, and if so, I'd love for people to prove me wrong.

Well I've lived in California, Missouri, London, and North Carolina. It's been consistent as far as I can remember in all those locations. I still have my sociology teachers e-mail, and I've sent the question. Google hasn't been helpful yet, nor have my old text books.

Ifd nop one has done research into this, maybe you should write a paper on it and have it published.

Well, it's a novel idea, but between engineering school and well... The social aspects of college, the motivation may be lacking to do the research required to write a well thought out publishable paper.

Would be very interesting however.

I remember the old TV sitcom "Carter Country" about a black deputy in the south working with a bunch of rednecks and the racist Deputy made the comment "There ain't been a white Washington since George".

I just looked up the show, the deputy was Harvey Vernon. But it also starred Guich Kooch. I love that name!

okay, after posting this, I realize that I added nothing to the discussion except to say that this was noticed back in the Carter presidency in the late 1970's.

Interesting. Does it hold true for Lincoln as well?

There was a whole clan of white Washington's near where I grew up.

http://www.faqfarm.com/Q/Why_does_there_seem_to_be_no_'white'_Washingtons_except_George_Washington_our_nation's_first_president