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Wolfenden Family History

Wolfenden Surname Meaning

English (Lancashire and Yorkshire): habitational name from Wolfenden, a place in the parish of Newchurch-in-Rossendale (Lancashire). The placename probably means ‘valley at a place called Wolfham’, deriving from Middle English den(e) ‘valley’ (Old English denu) qualified by an earlier placename Wolfham.

Wolfham is composed of Old English wulf ‘wolf’ + hamm ‘enclosure, hemmed-in land’.

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


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Where is the Wolfenden family from?

You can see how Wolfenden families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wolfenden family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wolfenden families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 18 Wolfenden families living in British Columbia. This was about 47% of all the recorded Wolfenden's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Wolfenden families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wolfenden 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 Wolfenden ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Wolfenden. 63% of Wolfenden men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Wolfenden | 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
    63%
  • Labourer
    38%

What Wolfenden family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 27,000 census records available for the last name Wolfenden. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wolfenden census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Wolfenden

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Wolfenden. 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 Wolfenden immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Wolfenden. For the veterans among your Wolfenden ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wolfenden military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wolfenden family history

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What is the average Wolfenden lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Wolfenden life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1966, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Wolfenden in 1956 was 52, and 61 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wolfenden

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wolfenden 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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