English (Middlesex Surrey Hampshire and Kent): nickname for a wise or learned person from Middle English wisdom (Old English wīsdōm) ‘wisdom learning’.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022
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Where is the Wisdom family from?
You can see how Wisdom families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wisdom family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wisdom families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 240 Wisdom families living in London. This was about 35% of all the recorded Wisdom's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Wisdom families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wisdom surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Wisdom. 14% of Wisdom men worked as a General Labourer and 75% of Wisdom women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wisdom were Butcher and Housewife. .
Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Wisdom life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Wisdom in 1942 was 53, and 74 in 2004.