West Family History

West Surname Meaning

English and German: from Middle English Middle High German west ‘west’ hence a topographic name for someone who lived to the west of a settlement or a habitational name for someone who had migrated from further west.

Americanized form of Finnish Vesterinen: from the personal name Vesteri (a short form of Sylvester) + the surname suffix -nen.

Vesterinen is an old eastern surname recorded since the 16th century in the Karelian Isthmus and Savonia.

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

Similar surnames: Wuest, Oest, Wert, Best, Went, Geist, Gest, Wehr, Fest, Welt

2M	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
359K	Military Records
116K	Immigration Records
1M	Census and Voter Lists
4M	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the West family from?

You can see how West families moved over time by selecting different census years. The West family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most West families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 1,353 West families living in Ontario. This was about 49% of all the recorded West's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of West families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the West surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for West

What did your West ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named West. 30% of West men worked as a Farmer and 13% of West women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named West were Carpenter and Clerk.

View Census Data for West

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.

Farmer

30%

Labourer

Laborer

Carpenter

Housekeeper

13%

Stenographer

12%

Student

10%

Clerk

What West family records will you find?

Census Record

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

Search Canadian census records for West

Passenger List

There are 116K immigration records available for the last name West. 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 West immigration records

Military Records

There are 359K military records available for the last name West. For the veterans among your West ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all West military records

You've only scratched the surface of West family history

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What is the average West lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, West life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for West in 1940 was 46, and 74 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the West family tree

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West Surname Meaning

Americanized form of Finnish Vesterinen: from the personal name Vesteri (a short form of Sylvester) + the surname suffix -nen.

Vesterinen is an old eastern surname recorded since the 16th century in the Karelian Isthmus and Savonia.

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

Where is the West family from?

What did your West ancestors do for a living?

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.

Farmer

30%

Labourer

Laborer

Carpenter

Housekeeper

13%

Stenographer

12%

Student

10%

Clerk

What West family records will you find?

What is the average West lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, West life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for West in 1940 was 46, and 74 in 2004.

West Family History

West Surname Meaning

8 million record(s) for West

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the West family from?

What did your West ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What West family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of West family history

What is the average West lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the West family tree

Search for another surname

West Surname Meaning

8 million record(s) for West

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the West family from?

What did your West ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What West family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of West family history

What is the average West lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the West family tree

Search for another surname