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Witherspoon Family History

Witherspoon Name Meaning

Scottish: nickname probably for a quarrelsome or stubborn person perhaps ultimately of European continental rather than English or Scottish origin. The name is recorded as Widerspon in late 12th-century Lynn (Norfolk) an important east coast port and as Withyrspon in late 13th-century SW Scotland where the surname became established as a Scottish family name perhaps through migration there of a member of the Lynn family. Its early presence in an east coast port where many of its residents were foreign migrants from the continent suggests a possible Germanic origin on the North Sea or Baltic coast. The name is an exact parallel for Middle High German widerspān ‘quarrel dispute’ which forms German surnames such as Widerspan Widerspon modern Wiederspahn; compare the Modern German word widerspenstig ‘stubborn’. The Middle English name may be borrowed from a cognate word in a coastal dialect such as Middle Low German or Old Frisian. Alternatively it may be from a native Middle English word corresponding in form and sense to the continental name but that is not attested.

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


Similar surnames: Winterton, Winterstein, Wotherspoon, Witherington, Atherton

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Where is the Witherspoon family from?

You can see how Witherspoon families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Witherspoon family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Witherspoon families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 37 Witherspoon families living in Ontario. This was about 60% of all the recorded Witherspoon's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Witherspoon families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Witherspoon surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Witherspoon ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Servant were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Witherspoon. 85% of Witherspoon men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Witherspoon women worked as a Servant. .

View Census Data for Witherspoon | 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
    85%
  • Labourer
    16%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

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

What Witherspoon family records will you find?

Census Records

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

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Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Witherspoon. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Witherspoon. For the veterans among your Witherspoon ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Witherspoon lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Witherspoon life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1959. The average life expectancy for Witherspoon in 1944 was 36, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Witherspoon

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