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Wassum Family History

Wassum Surname Meaning

German (Hesse): unexplained.

Norwegian: habitational name from a farmstead in Akershus named Wassum from Old Norse vatn ‘lake’ + endi ‘end’ denoting a farm at the end of the lake.

This surname is rare in Norway.

In some cases possibly also an altered form of Wassom a surname of Scottish or northern Irish origin.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Wassum family from?

You can see how Wassum families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wassum family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1840 and 1920. The most Wassum families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 3 Wassum families living in Virginia. This was about 43% of all the recorded Wassum's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Wassum families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wassum surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Wassum ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wassum. 35% of Wassum men worked as a Farmer and 37% of Wassum women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wassum were Machinist and Housewife.

View Census Data for Wassum | 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
    35%
  • Laborer
    32%
  • Carpenter
    9%
  • Machinist
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    37%
  • Waitress
    28%
  • Housekeeper
    19%
  • Housewife
    19%

What Wassum family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Wassum. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wassum census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Wassum

Passenger Lists

There are 200 immigration records available for the last name Wassum. 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 Wassum immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 473 military records available for the last name Wassum. For the veterans among your Wassum ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wassum military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wassum family history

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What is the average Wassum lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Wassum life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1975, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Wassum in 1963 was 69, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wassum

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wassum 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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