Wass Family History

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Wass Name Meaning

Scottish and English: from the Norman personal name Wazo, which is probably derived from a compound Germanic name with a first element wad ‘to go’. Compare Wade 1. German and Swedish: nickname from Middle High German was(se), Swedish vass ‘sharp’, ‘cutting’. The Swedish name is a soldier’s name, one of the identifying names adopted by soldiers in the 17th and 18th centuries, before the use of surnames became general in Scandinavia. Swedish: ornamental name from vass ‘reed’, ‘marsh’. German: metonymic occupational name for a seller of wax, from Middle Low German was ‘wax’ (see Wax).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Hass, Bass, Pass, Fass, Vass, Gass, Wang, Mass, Nass, Waas

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Wass Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Wass name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Wass. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    50%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    19%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    7%

  • Germanic Europe

    6%

  • Norway

    4%

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Wass Family Origin

Where is the Wass family from?

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You can see how Wass families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wass family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wass families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1911 there were 78 Wass families living in Ontario. This was about 56% of all the recorded Wass's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Wass families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wass surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Wass

Wass Family Occupations

What did your Wass ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, the most common Wass occupation in Canada was Farmer. 36% of Wass's were Farmers. A less common occupation for the Wass family was Clerk. Farmer, Labourer and Butcher were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Wass.

View Census data for Wass | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    36%

  • Labourer

    18%

  • Butcher

    9%

  • Clerk

    9%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Wass ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Wass Historical Records

What Wass family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 42,000 census records available for the last name Wass. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wass census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1881 Canadian census records for Wass

Passenger List

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Wass. 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 Card

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

View all Wass military records

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Wass Life Expectancy

What is the average Wass lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Wass life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Wass in 1954 was 55, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wass

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wass 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.

Famous Wass Family Ancestors

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