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Wakeman Family History

Wakeman Surname Meaning

English: occupational name from Middle English wakeman ‘watchman town guard’ also ‘municipal officer responsible for night-time security and the town musicians’. Wakeman was the title of the chief magistrate of the borough of Ripon until 1604 when it was changed to mayor.

He was the head of the body of wakemen whose duty was to blow a cow's horn every night at nine o'clock. If between then and sunrise any burglary took place it was made good at the public charge.

See also Watchman.

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


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Where is the Wakeman family from?

You can see how Wakeman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wakeman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wakeman families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 8 Wakeman families living in Manitoba. This was about 31% of all the recorded Wakeman's in Canada. Manitoba had the highest population of Wakeman families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wakeman 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 Wakeman ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Wakeman. 100% of Wakeman men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Wakeman | 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
    100%

What Wakeman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 44,000 census records available for the last name Wakeman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wakeman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Wakeman

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Wakeman. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Wakeman. For the veterans among your Wakeman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Wakeman lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Wakeman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Wakeman in 1951 was 45, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wakeman

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wakeman 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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