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Wilkes Family History

Wilkes Name Meaning

English (West Midlands): either a variant of Wilk with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s or from the Middle English personal name Wilcus an uncommon pet form of a personal name in Wil-. The suffix is a double diminutive -k + -us the latter being used with Old English female names (compare Aldous ). So Wilcus may also be a pet form of an Old English female name such as Wilburg. Alternatively it may have been used with Norman personal names of either gender for example as a pet form of William . If Wilcus became an inherited surname it would quickly have become merged with Wilkes. Wilcus may also have been absorbed into Wildgoose . Dutch and North German: patronymic from the personal name Wilke a pet form of Will.

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


Similar surnames: Wilkey, Gilkes, Wilks, Wilmes, Wilken, Wilke, Wickes, Hilke, Tilkens

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Where is the Wilkes family from?

You can see how Wilkes families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wilkes family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wilkes families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,552 Wilkes families living in Staffordshire. This was about 29% of all the recorded Wilkes's in United Kingdom. Staffordshire had the highest population of Wilkes families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wilkes 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 Wilkes ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Wilkes. 11% of Wilkes men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Wilkes women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wilkes were Retired and Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Wilkes | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    11%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Retired
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    2%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wilkes family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 149,000 census records available for the last name Wilkes. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wilkes census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wilkes

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Wilkes. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 24,000 military records available for the last name Wilkes. For the veterans among your Wilkes ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Wilkes lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Wilkes life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Wilkes in 1940 was 30, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wilkes

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