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Willard Family History

Willard Name Meaning

English (Sussex Kent and Surrey): from the Middle English personal name Willard representing either Old English Wilheard or Old French Willard (ancient Germanic Willihard) the source of both of which consists of elements meaning ‘will desire’ + ‘hardy brave’. The name may also derive from the Middle English personal name Withelard shortened to Willard (Old French ancient Germanic Widelard). German: variant of Willhardt (see Willert ) and in North America (also) an altered form of this.

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


Similar surnames: Millard, Billard, Villard, Gillard, Willert, Wiard, Mallard, Willer

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Willard family from?

You can see how Willard families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Willard family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Willard families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 282 Willard families living in Ontario. This was about 46% of all the recorded Willard's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Willard families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Willard 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 Willard ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Willard. 33% of Willard men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Willard women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Willard were Merchant and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Willard | 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

  • Farmer
    33%
  • Labourer
    16%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Merchant
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    50%
  • Student
    30%
  • Housekeeper
    20%
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What Willard family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 134,000 census records available for the last name Willard. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Willard census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Willard

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Willard. 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 Willard immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 27,000 military records available for the last name Willard. For the veterans among your Willard ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Willard military records

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What is the average Willard lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Willard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Willard in 1944 was 30, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Willard

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