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Wardle Family History

Wardle Surname Meaning

English:: habitational name from Wardle in Lancashire and possibly Wardle in Cheshire, both named with Old English weard-hyll ‘watch hill’. Compare Warden 2 and Wardlaw.

Habitational name from Weardale (Durham) which takes its name from the river Wear, related to the Indo-European root wis- weis- ‘liquid flow’ or wedōr- ‘water’ + Old Norse dalr ‘valley’.

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


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Where is the Wardle family from?

You can see how Wardle families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wardle family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wardle families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,330 Wardle families living in Lancashire. This was about 21% of all the recorded Wardle's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Wardle families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wardle 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 Wardle 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 Wardle. 9% of Wardle men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Wardle women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wardle were Dairy Farmer and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Wardle | 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
    9%
  • Colliery Hewer
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Dairy Farmer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Wardle family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 86,000 census records available for the last name Wardle. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wardle census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wardle

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Wardle. 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 Wardle immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Wardle. For the veterans among your Wardle ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wardle military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wardle family history

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What is the average Wardle lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Wardle life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Wardle in 1948 was 54, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wardle

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wardle 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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