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Wah Family History

Wah Surname Meaning

Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 華 see Hua. Chinese: possibly also from Cantonese form of the Chinese name 華 (a short form of ‘China’) a monosyllabic personal name or part of a disyllabic personal name of some early Chinese immigrants in the US.

Burmese (Karen): from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name from wah ‘white’. — Note: Since Karens do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

German (Wäh): nickname for a smart good looking person from Middle High German wæhe ‘pretty neat’. This name is almost extinct in Germany.

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


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Where is the Wah family from?

You can see how Wah families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wah family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wah families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 11 Wah families living in Lancashire. This was about 61% of all the recorded Wah's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Wah families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wah 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 Wah ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Laundry Man was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Wah. 50% of Wah men worked as a Laundry Man.

View Census Data for Wah | 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

  • Laundry Man
    50%
  • Laundryman
    50%

What Wah family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Wah. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wah census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wah

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Wah. 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 Wah immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Wah. For the veterans among your Wah ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wah military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wah family history

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What is the average Wah lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Wah life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2004, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Wah in 1947 was 78, and 55 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wah

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wah 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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