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Williamson Family History

Williamson Surname Meaning

English (Northern) and Scottish: from the Middle English personal name William + patronymic -son ‘son of William’. This surname is also found in Northern Ireland (Ulster) especially in Antrim.

Americanized form of Norwegian, Danish, and North German Wilhelmsen. It is also related to Swedish Wilhelmsson or Dutch and North German Willemsen, all cognates of the name.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Williamson family from?

You can see how Williamson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Williamson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Williamson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 1,604 Williamson families living in Ontario. This was about 55% of all the recorded Williamson's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Williamson families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Williamson 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 Williamson ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Williamson. 30% of Williamson men worked as a Farmer and 15% of Williamson women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Williamson were Carpenter and Student.

View Census Data for Williamson | 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
    30%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Laborer
    5%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    15%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Clerk
    8%
  • Student
    8%

What Williamson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 962,000 census records available for the last name Williamson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Williamson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Williamson

Passenger Lists

There are 119,000 immigration records available for the last name Williamson. 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 Williamson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 143,000 military records available for the last name Williamson. For the veterans among your Williamson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Williamson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Williamson family history

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What is the average Williamson lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Williamson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Williamson in 1940 was 35, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Williamson

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Williamson 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Williamson family tree

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