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Wilson Family History

Wilson Surname Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal name Will + patronymic -son ‘son of Will’.

Will was a very common medieval short form of William.

This surname is also very common among African Americans.

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


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Wilson family from?

You can see how Wilson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wilson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wilson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 11,851 Wilson families living in Ontario. This was about 53% of all the recorded Wilson's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Wilson families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wilson 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 Wilson ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Wilson. 29% of Wilson men worked as a Farmer and 10% of Wilson women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wilson were Carpenter and Clerk.

View Census Data for Wilson | 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
    29%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Laborer
    5%
  • Carpenter
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Stenographer
    10%
  • Income
    7%
  • Clerk
    6%

What Wilson family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search Canadian census records for Wilson

Passenger Lists

There are 728,000 immigration records available for the last name Wilson. 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 Wilson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 929,000 military records available for the last name Wilson. For the veterans among your Wilson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wilson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wilson family history

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What is the average Wilson lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Wilson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Wilson in 1940 was 41, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wilson

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

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