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Walder Family History

Walder Surname Meaning

English (Sussex): from Middle English walder welder wolder ‘dweller in the wooded region or upland’. Compare Waldman. This type of formation where the suffix -er is added to a topographic term is mainly found in southern England especially in Sussex, Surrey, and Kent.

English (Sussex): from the Middle English personal name Walder (Old English Wealdhere from weald ‘power, rule’ + here ‘army’), the English counterpart of the Norman French name which gives rise to the much more frequent Walter.

German: habitational name for someone from any of several places called Wald or a topographic name for someone who lived in a forest or wood, Middle High German walt.

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


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Where is the Walder family from?

You can see how Walder families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Walder family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Walder families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 434 Walder families living in Sussex. This was about 41% of all the recorded Walder's in United Kingdom. Sussex had the highest population of Walder families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Walder 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 Walder ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Gardener and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Walder. 12% of Walder men worked as a Gardener and 75% of Walder women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Walder were Police Constable and Dressmaker.

View Census Data for Walder | 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

  • Gardener
    12%
  • Builders Labourer
    8%
  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Police Constable
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Dressmaker
    2%

What Walder family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 33,000 census records available for the last name Walder. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Walder census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Walder

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Walder. 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 Walder immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Walder. For the veterans among your Walder ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Walder military records

You've only scratched the surface of Walder family history

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What is the average Walder lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Walder life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Walder in 1945 was 31, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Walder

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Walder 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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