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Wister Family History

Wister Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Winter, Lister, Witter, Wester, Wisner, Kister, Rister, Fister

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Wister family from?

You can see how Wister families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wister family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wister families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 9 Wister families living in Alberta. This was about 33% of all the recorded Wister's in Canada. Alberta and 1 other province had the highest population of Wister families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wister 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 Wister ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Saleslady were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wister. 22% of Wister men worked as a Laborer and 34% of Wister women worked as a Saleslady. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wister were Manager and Retired.

View Census Data for Wister | 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
    22%
  • Salesman
    13%
  • Farmer
    10%
  • Manager
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Saleslady
    34%
  • Ot
    23%
  • Housework
    23%
  • Retired
    23%

What Wister family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Wister. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wister census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Wister

Passenger Lists

There are 869 immigration records available for the last name Wister. 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 Wister immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 824 military records available for the last name Wister. For the veterans among your Wister ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wister military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wister family history

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What is the average Wister lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2003, in the United States, Wister life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1979, and highest in 1971. The average life expectancy for Wister in 1963 was 89, and 82 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wister

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

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