Rationale:　White　tea　has　become　very　popular　in　recent　years,　but　there　has　been　no　scientific　identification　of　white　tea　from　different　origins.　For　product　authentication　and　valorization,　every　kind　of　white　tea　must　be　marked　with　an　indication　of　its　origin.　Methods:　Volatile　profiles　of　white　tea　leaf　samples　from　their　main　origins　in　China　(Fuding　City,　Zhenghe　City　and　Jianyang　City)　were　analyzed　using　proton　transfer　reaction　time-of-flight　mass　spectrometry　(PTR-TOFMS).　Tentative　identifications　of　the　volatile　organic　compounds　(VOCs)　were　obtained　by　PTR-TOFMS　of　the　headspace.　Principal　component　analysis　(PCA)　and　orthogonal　partial　least　squares　discriminant　analysis　(OPLS-DA)　were　performed　to　evaluate　the　differences　among　the　various　origins.　Results:　Teas　from　different　origins　were　shown　to　have　characteristic　VOCs　and　profiles.　Thus,　white　teas　from　different　origins　could　be　separated　by　characterizing　the　volatile　emissions　from　the　dry　tea　leaves.　The　ability　of　the　two　classification　models　to　use　the　volatile　fingerprints　in　origin　discrimination　was　investigated.　Conclusions:　Two　classification　models　(PCA　and　OPLS-DA)　were　applied　to　the　PTR-TOFMS　data　obtained　from　the　VOCs　of　various　white　teas.　The　classification　models　were　shown　to　be　useful　in　identifying　the　origin　of　white　tea　samples,　providing　a　reference　for　white　tea　identification.　©　2020　John　Wiley　&　Sons,　Ltd.