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Ways Family History

Ways Surname Meaning

Scottish and English: possibly a variant of Wace.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Ways family from?

You can see how Ways families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ways family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ways families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 7 Ways families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 47% of all the recorded Ways's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Ways families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ways 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 Ways ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Servant were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Ways. 30% of Ways men worked as a Laborer and 19% of Ways women worked as a Servant. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ways were Painter and Teacher.

View Census Data for Ways | 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

  • Laborer
    30%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Truck Driver
    13%
  • Painter
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Servant
    19%
  • Laundress
    10%
  • Clerk
    10%
  • Teacher
    10%

What Ways family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Ways. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ways census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Ways

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Ways. 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 Ways immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Ways. For the veterans among your Ways ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ways military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ways family history

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What is the average Ways lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Ways life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Ways in 1963 was 84, and 63 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ways

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ways 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 Ways family tree

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