Wise Family History

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Wise Name Meaning

English: nickname for a wise or learned person, or in some cases a nickname for someone suspected of being acquainted with the occult arts, from Middle English wise ‘wise’ (Old English wis). This name has also absorbed Dutch Wijs, a nickname meaning ‘wise’, and possibly cognates in other languages. Americanized form of German and Jewish Weiss ‘white’.

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


Similar surnames: Wish, Wire, Wiese, Wile, Wiss, Fish, Rise, Vise, West, Dise

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Wise Family Origin

Where is the Wise family from?

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You can see how Wise families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wise family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wise families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 287 Wise families living in Ontario. This was about 58% of all the recorded Wise's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Wise families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wise surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Wise

Wise Family Occupations

What did your Wise ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Wise. 23% of Wise men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Wise women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wise were Machinist and Dressmaker

View Census data for Wise | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1921

  • Farmer
    23%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Machinist
    4%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Income
    9%
  • Dressmaker
    7%

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Wise Historical Records

What Wise family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 434,000 census records available for the last name Wise. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wise 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 Wise

Passenger List

There are 33,000 immigration records available for the last name Wise. 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 Wise immigration records

Draft Card

There are 75,000 military records available for the last name Wise. For the veterans among your Wise ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wise military records

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

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Wise Life Expectancy

What is the average Wise lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Wise life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Wise in 1940 was 29, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wise

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

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