History of your Surname
Get access to While family records.Start a free trial

While Family History

While Name Meaning

English (West Midlands): habitational name from Whyle (Herefordshire) which is of unexplained etymology.

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


Similar surnames: White, Wile, Whale, Whiles, Hile, Hale, Child, Hill, Wild, Will

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 While family from?

You can see how While families moved over time by selecting different census years. The While family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most While families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 61 While families living in Ontario. This was about 58% of all the recorded While's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of While families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the While surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your While ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Labourer and Maker were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named While. 37% of While men worked as a Labourer and 100% of While women worked as a Maker. .

View Census Data for While | 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 1921

  • Labourer
    37%
  • Farmer
    28%
  • Laborer
    19%
  • Income
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Maker
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What While family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 41,000 census records available for the last name While. Like a window into their day-to-day life, While census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for While

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name While. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all While immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 73,000 military records available for the last name While. For the veterans among your While ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all While military records

You've only scratched the surface of While family history

Discover More

What is the average While lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, While life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1973, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for While in 1964 was 71, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for While

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the While family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the While last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial