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Whelen Family History

Whelen Name Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Thelen, Whelan, Whalen, Whaley, Helin, Wheeler, Heien, Woolen

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 Whelen family from?

You can see how Whelen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whelen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whelen families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 31 Whelen families living in Ontario. This was about 35% of all the recorded Whelen's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Whelen families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whelen surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Whelen ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Domestic were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Whelen. 37% of Whelen men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Whelen women worked as a Domestic. .

View Census Data for Whelen | 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
    37%
  • Laborer
    28%
  • Student
    10%
  • Carpenter
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

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

What Whelen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Whelen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whelen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Whelen

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Whelen. 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 Whelen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Whelen. For the veterans among your Whelen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Whelen military records

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What is the average Whelen lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Whelen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2004, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Whelen in 1963 was 91, and 45 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Whelen

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Whelen family tree

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