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Wagg Family History

Wagg Surname Meaning

English:: apparently a nickname from the Middle English verb waggen (Old English wagian) ‘to shake, tremble, stagger, waver, or vacillate’ or ‘to move (something) to and fro, up and down (etc.)’. The name may be an elliptical form of longer nicknames involving this verb; see Waple and Wagstaff.

Alternatively, Wagge may have been a nickname with the sense ‘mischievous boy’ which is not recorded until the mid 16th century but was probably in colloquial use considerably earlier.

Topographic name from Middle English wagge ‘marsh, quaking bog’, a word found only in placenames related to the verb waggen ‘to move or shake’.

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


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Where is the Wagg family from?

You can see how Wagg families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wagg family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wagg families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 186 Wagg families living in Norfolk. This was about 24% of all the recorded Wagg's in United Kingdom. Norfolk had the highest population of Wagg families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wagg 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 Wagg ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Wagg. 10% of Wagg men worked as an Incapacitated and 72% of Wagg women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wagg were General Labourer and Household Duties.

View Census Data for Wagg | 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

  • Incapacitated
    10%
  • Farm Labourer
    10%
  • Bricklayer
    7%
  • General Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Household Duties
    2%

What Wagg family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Wagg. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wagg census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wagg

Passenger Lists

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

View all Wagg immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Wagg. For the veterans among your Wagg ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wagg military records

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What is the average Wagg lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Wagg life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1969, and highest in 1970. The average life expectancy for Wagg in 1956 was 44, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wagg

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wagg 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.

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