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Wanton Family History

Wanton Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: nickname from Middle English wanton ‘unruly thoughtless or promiscuous’. This surname was quite frequent in Britain until the 18th century but in the 19th it underwent a decline in numbers presumably due to people changing their name because of the negative connotations of the vocabulary word which had become salient.

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


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Where is the Wanton family from?

You can see how Wanton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wanton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wanton families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1911 there were 6 Wanton families living in Ontario. This was about 32% of all the recorded Wanton's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Wanton families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wanton 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 Wanton ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Waitress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wanton. 38% of Wanton men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Wanton women worked as a Waitress. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wanton were Truck Driver and Maid.

View Census Data for Wanton | 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
    38%
  • Laborer
    32%
  • Common Laborer
    19%
  • Truck Driver
    13%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Waitress
    50%
  • Maid
    50%

What Wanton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Wanton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wanton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Wanton

Passenger Lists

There are 263 immigration records available for the last name Wanton. 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 Wanton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 388 military records available for the last name Wanton. For the veterans among your Wanton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wanton military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wanton family history

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What is the average Wanton lifespan?

Between 1970 and 2004, in the United States, Wanton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1970, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Wanton in 1970 was 29, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wanton

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wanton ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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