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Wills Family History

Wills Name Meaning

English and German: variant of Will with genitival -s.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Will, Wille, Willis, Willy, Wilks, Wilms, Willms, Wilds, Wilkes

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Wills family from?

You can see how Wills families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wills family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wills families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,555 Wills families living in London. This was about 15% of all the recorded Wills's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Wills families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wills surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Wills ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Wills. 8% of Wills men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Wills women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wills were Bricklayer and Private Means. .

View Census Data for Wills | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Farmer
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wills family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 356,000 census records available for the last name Wills. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wills census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Wills

Passenger Lists

There are 33,000 immigration records available for the last name Wills. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Wills immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 42,000 military records available for the last name Wills. For the veterans among your Wills ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wills military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wills family history

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What is the average Wills lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Wills life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Wills in 1941 was 29, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wills

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