Way Family History

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Way Name Meaning

English (chiefly southern): topographic name for someone who lived near a road or path, Old English weg (cognate with Old Norse vegr, Old High German weg), or a habitational name from some minor place named with this word, as for example any of the places called Way or Waye, in Devon.

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


Similar surnames: Hay, May, Say, Ray, Fay, Kay, Pay, Gay, Day, Bay

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Way Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Way name?

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

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  • England & Wales

    52%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    18%

  • Germanic Europe

    9%

  • France

    3%

  • Norway

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Way Family Origin

Where is the Way family from?

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You can see how Way families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Way family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Way families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 406 Way families living in Ontario. This was about 51% of all the recorded Way's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Way families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Way surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Way

Way Family Occupations

What did your Way ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, the most common Way occupation in Canada was Farmer. 39% of Way's were Farmers. Farmer, Labourer and Going To School were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Way. A less common occupation for the Way family was Laborer.

View Census data for Way | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    39%

  • Labourer

    5%

  • Going To School

    4%

  • Laborer

    3%

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

Way Historical Records

What Way family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 212,000 census records available for the last name Way. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Way 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 Way

Passenger List

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Way. 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 Way immigration records

Draft Card

There are 65,000 military records available for the last name Way. For the veterans among your Way ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Way military records

You've only scratched the surface of Way family history.

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Way Life Expectancy

What is the average Way lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Way life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Way in 1940 was 45, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Way

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Way 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 Way Family Ancestors

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