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Wempe Family History

Wempe Surname Meaning

North German, East Frisian, North Frisian, Dutch (mainly North Holland), and West Frisian: from a Frisian-Low German pet form of a personal name composed with the ancient Germanic element wil ‘will’. This surname is very rare in East and North Frisia.

South German: from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name composed of Old High German wān ‘hope’ + bald ‘bold’ or berht ‘shining’.

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


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Where is the Wempe family from?

You can see how Wempe families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wempe family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Wempe families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 2 Wempe families living in Lancashire. This was about 50% of all the recorded Wempe's in United Kingdom. Lancashire and 1 other county had the highest population of Wempe families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wempe 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 Wempe ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wempe. 29% of Wempe men worked as a Farmer and 18% of Wempe women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wempe were Chauffeur and Work At.

View Census Data for Wempe | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    29%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Operator
    11%
  • Chauffeur
    11%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    18%
  • Student Nurse
    12%
  • Bookkeeper
    12%
  • Work At
    12%

What Wempe family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Wempe. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wempe census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wempe

Passenger Lists

There are 473 immigration records available for the last name Wempe. 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 Wempe immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 417 military records available for the last name Wempe. For the veterans among your Wempe ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wempe military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wempe family history

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What is the average Wempe lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Wempe life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1978. The average life expectancy for Wempe in 1956 was 43, and 66 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wempe

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wempe 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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