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Wels Family History

Wels Name Meaning

German: habitational name from Wels in Upper Austria.

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


Similar surnames: Welz, Welt, Els, Fels, Well, Pels, Welsh, Wess, Wells, Wehle

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Wels family from?

You can see how Wels families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wels family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wels families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 11 Wels families living in Ontario. This was about 42% of all the recorded Wels's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Wels families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wels surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Wels ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and House Work were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wels. 34% of Wels men worked as a Farmer and 30% of Wels women worked as a House Work. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wels were Salesman and Housework. .

View Census Data for Wels | 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

  • Farmer
    34%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Clerk
    11%
  • Salesman
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • House Work
    30%
  • Housekeeper
    30%
  • Teacher
    20%
  • Housework
    20%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wels family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search Canadian census records for Wels

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Wels. For the veterans among your Wels ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wels military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wels family history

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What is the average Wels lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2003, in the United States, Wels life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1974, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Wels in 1963 was 82, and 81 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wels

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Wels family tree

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