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Watkins Family History

Watkins Name Meaning

English and Welsh: variant of Watkin with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s.

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


Similar surnames: Atkins, Watkinson, Hawkins, Adkins, Harkins, Matkins, Alkins, Madkins

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 Watkins family from?

You can see how Watkins families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Watkins family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Watkins families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 199 Watkins families living in Ontario. This was about 40% of all the recorded Watkins's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Watkins families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Watkins surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Watkins ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Watkins. 29% of Watkins men worked as a Farmer and 16% of Watkins women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Watkins were Clerk and Maid. .

View Census Data for Watkins | 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
    29%
  • Labourer
    11%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housewife
    16%
  • Nurse
    10%
  • Stenographer
    10%
  • Maid
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Watkins family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 703,000 census records available for the last name Watkins. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Watkins census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Watkins

Passenger Lists

There are 103,000 immigration records available for the last name Watkins. 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 Watkins immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 117,000 military records available for the last name Watkins. For the veterans among your Watkins ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Watkins military records

You've only scratched the surface of Watkins family history

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What is the average Watkins lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Watkins life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Watkins in 1940 was 38, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Watkins

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