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Wedel Family History

Wedel Surname Meaning

German:: habitational name from any of various places called Wedel or Wedell all in northern Germany.

In northwestern Germany a topographic name for someone who lived in a forest from Middle Low German wede ‘wood forest’ + lo ‘brush’ ‘wood’.

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


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Where is the Wedel family from?

You can see how Wedel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wedel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wedel families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 8 Wedel families living in Lancashire. This was about 62% of all the recorded Wedel's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Wedel families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wedel 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 Wedel ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Wedel. 100% of Wedel women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Wedel | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Wedel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Wedel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wedel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wedel

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Wedel. 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 Wedel immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Wedel. For the veterans among your Wedel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wedel military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wedel family history

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What is the average Wedel lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Wedel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Wedel in 1951 was 43, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wedel

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wedel 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Wedel family tree

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