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Wadhams Family History

Wadhams Surname Meaning

English: variant of Wadham with post-medieval excrescent -s a habitational name from Wadham in Knowstone (Devon). The placename derives from the Old English personal name Wada or Old English wād ‘woad’ + hām ‘village homestead’ or hamm ‘water meadow’.

Wadham College Oxford was founded in 1610 by Dorothy Wadham, widow of Nicholas Wadham (died 1609), a wealthy Somerset landowner.

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


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Where is the Wadhams family from?

You can see how Wadhams families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wadhams family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wadhams families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 5 Wadhams families living in British Columbia. This was about 63% of all the recorded Wadhams's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Wadhams families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wadhams 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 Wadhams ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wadhams. 20% of Wadhams men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Wadhams women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wadhams were Salesman and Clerk.

View Census Data for Wadhams | 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
    20%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Farm Laborer
    15%
  • Salesman
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    34%
  • Saleslady
    23%
  • Housework
    23%
  • Clerk
    23%

What Wadhams family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Wadhams. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wadhams census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Wadhams

Passenger Lists

There are 643 immigration records available for the last name Wadhams. 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 Wadhams immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Wadhams military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wadhams family history

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What is the average Wadhams lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Wadhams life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 1970. The average life expectancy for Wadhams in 1944 was 32, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wadhams

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wadhams 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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