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Wilson Family History

Wilson Name Meaning

English, Scottish, and northern Irish: patronymic from the personal name Will, a very common medieval short form of William.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Tilson, Gilson, Ritson, Hilson, Watson, Sisson, Wilmot, Dillon

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Wilson family from?

You can see how Wilson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wilson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wilson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 23,046 Wilson families living in Yorkshire. This was about 21% of all the recorded Wilson's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Wilson families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wilson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Wilson 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 Wilson. 6% of Wilson men worked as a General Labourer and 63% of Wilson women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wilson were Bricklayer and Private Means. .

View Census Data for Wilson | 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
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Bricklayer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    63%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wilson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6 million census records available for the last name Wilson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wilson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Wilson

Passenger Lists

There are 728,000 immigration records available for the last name Wilson. 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 Wilson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 929,000 military records available for the last name Wilson. For the veterans among your Wilson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Wilson family history

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What is the average Wilson lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Wilson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Wilson in 1940 was 41, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wilson

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