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Witter Family History

Witter Name Meaning

German: from an ancient Germanic personal name composed of the elements wid(u) ‘wood forest’ + hari ‘army’. North German: occupational name for a whitewasher or plasterer from Middle Low German witten ‘to make white’ or for a coiner from witten ‘to determine the contents of gold or silver by boiling’. English (Lancashire and Cheshire): variant of Whitter .

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


Similar surnames: Ritter, Wittmer, Wetter, Gitter, Bitter, Wicker, Mitter, Winter

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Witter family from?

You can see how Witter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Witter family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Witter families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 170 Witter families living in Lancashire. This was about 45% of all the recorded Witter's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Witter families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Witter surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Witter 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 Witter. 24% of Witter men worked as a General Labourer and 80% of Witter women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Witter were Retired and Incapacitated. .

View Census Data for Witter | 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
    24%
  • Dairy Farmer
    18%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Retired
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    80%
  • Domestic Duties
    5%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Witter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 28,000 census records available for the last name Witter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Witter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Witter

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Witter. 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 Witter immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Witter. For the veterans among your Witter 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 Witter family history

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What is the average Witter lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Witter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1975. The average life expectancy for Witter in 1940 was 33, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Witter

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