Whitney's name was a significant subject of debate, as the school's first two proposed names were associated too closely with other schools in the area. The school was initially designated Granite Ridge High School, which was deemed too similar to RUSD's Granite Oaks Middle School. It was then designated as Liberty High School, but the name was associated with the rival Lincoln High School. Rocklin Unified School District finally decided on "Whitney" in honor of Joel Parker Whitney, the man who suggested that his successful Boston businessman father, George Whitney, invest in the 1854 development of Placer County, which was then a major locale for gold-seeking Argonauts. George Whitney would later found and develop the city of Rocklin. Additional debate revolved around the school's mascot and colors; deliberation around data collected via survey from the city of Rocklin and other Rocklin Unified School District entities ultimately convinced the district administration to choose the wildcat and the colors of maroon and gold. Construction began in October 2003 with preliminary site work and underground utilities; construction of the buildings started on April 2004.