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Wansley Family History

Wansley Name Meaning

English: habitational name from Wansley in Devon named with the Old English personal name Want + lēah ‘woodland clearing’ or from Hutton Wandesley in North Yorkshire named with an unattested Old English personal name (Wand or Wandel) + lēah. The latter seems the more likely source the surname having been concentrated in Lancashire in the late 19th century. Today there are few if any bearers of the surname in Britain.

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


Similar surnames: Ansley, Hansley, Tansley, Hensley, Winkley, Worsley, Walkley, Hanley

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Wansley family from?

You can see how Wansley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wansley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wansley families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 3 Wansley families living in Ontario. This was about 50% of all the recorded Wansley's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Wansley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wansley 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 Wansley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wansley. 30% of Wansley men worked as a Farmer and 17% of Wansley women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wansley were Farm Laborer and Maid. .

View Census Data for Wansley | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    30%
  • Laborer
    30%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Farm Laborer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    17%
  • Clerk
    13%
  • Cook
    13%
  • Maid
    10%
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What Wansley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Wansley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wansley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Wansley

Passenger Lists

There are 230 immigration records available for the last name Wansley. 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 Wansley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 774 military records available for the last name Wansley. For the veterans among your Wansley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wansley military records

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What is the average Wansley lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Wansley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Wansley in 1950 was 51, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wansley

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