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

Washburn Family History

Washburn Name Meaning

English: habitational name from Great and Little Washbourne (Gloucestershire) or Washbourne in Halwell (Devon). The Gloucestershire placename derives from Old English wæsse (genitive wæssan) ‘wet place swamp marsh’ + burna ‘spring stream’. The Devon placename derives from Old English wæsce ‘place for washing’ + burna.

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


Similar surnames: Ashburn, Eastburn, Fishburn, Fairburn, Winburn, Washer, Westbury

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 Washburn family from?

You can see how Washburn families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Washburn family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Washburn families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 104 Washburn families living in Ontario. This was about 51% of all the recorded Washburn's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Washburn families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Washburn surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Washburn ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Income were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Washburn. 66% of Washburn men worked as a Farmer and 19% of Washburn women worked as an Income. Some less common occupations for Americans named Washburn were Traveller and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Washburn | 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
    66%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Traveller
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Income
    19%
  • Nurse
    19%
  • Housekeeper
    19%
  • Stenographer
    19%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Washburn family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 128,000 census records available for the last name Washburn. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Washburn census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Washburn

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Washburn. 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 Washburn immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 28,000 military records available for the last name Washburn. For the veterans among your Washburn ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Washburn military records

You've only scratched the surface of Washburn family history

Discover More

What is the average Washburn lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Washburn life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Washburn in 1944 was 24, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Washburn

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Washburn family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Washburn last name

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