The name 'Whitmore' is said by toponymists to come from the Old English 'hwit' (white) and 'mor' (moor - which was used to describe a marshy area) - possibly a foggy area of marsh land, and 'Reans' is said to possibly mean a type of furrow created during ploughing, designed to drain the land. Another name used for the nearby area that West Park now stands on was the 'Hungry Leas' - "hungry" being used to describe land which was little or no use for agriculture.