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Wadell Family History

Wadell Surname Meaning

Scottish: variant of Waddell. Americanized form of German Wadel, a surname which is also found in France (mainly Alsace).

Swedish: ornamental name from a variant of the element vad ‘ford’ + the suffix -ell, a derivative of the Latin adjectival ending -elius.

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


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Where is the Wadell family from?

You can see how Wadell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wadell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Wadell families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 9 Wadell families living in London. This was about 41% of all the recorded Wadell's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Wadell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wadell 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 Wadell ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wadell. 20% of Wadell men worked as a Laborer and 12% of Wadell women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wadell were Salesman and Maid.

View Census Data for Wadell | 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

  • Laborer
    20%
  • Farmer
    17%
  • Truck Driver
    10%
  • Salesman
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    12%
  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Maid
    9%

What Wadell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Wadell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wadell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wadell

Passenger Lists

There are 971 immigration records available for the last name Wadell. 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 Wadell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 652 military records available for the last name Wadell. For the veterans among your Wadell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wadell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wadell family history

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What is the average Wadell lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Wadell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1988, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Wadell in 1962 was 69, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wadell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wadell 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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