This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Welsh family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Welsh Family History

Welsh Surname Meaning

Scottish English and Irish: ethnic name from Middle English welshe (Old English wēalisc wēlisc) ‘foreign Welsh’ for someone from Wales or a speaker of the Welsh language.

Compare Walsh and Wallace. Americanized form of German Welsch. Americanized form of Ukrainian and Jewish (from Ukraine) Voloshin or its Polish variant Wołoszyn (see Woloszyn).

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


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Welsh family from?

You can see how Welsh families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Welsh family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Welsh families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,701 Welsh families living in Lancashire. This was about 22% of all the recorded Welsh's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Welsh families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Welsh surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Welsh 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 Welsh. 17% of Welsh men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Welsh women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Welsh were Incapacitated and Private Means.

View Census Data for Welsh | 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
    17%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Welsh family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 423,000 census records available for the last name Welsh. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Welsh census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Welsh

Passenger Lists

There are 63,000 immigration records available for the last name Welsh. 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 Welsh immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 63,000 military records available for the last name Welsh. For the veterans among your Welsh ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Welsh military records

You've only scratched the surface of Welsh family history

Discover More

What is the average Welsh lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Welsh life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Welsh in 1942 was 36, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Welsh

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Welsh 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 Welsh family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial