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Wai Family History

Wai Surname Meaning

Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 韋 and 衛 see Wei.

Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 惠 see Hui.

Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 懷 see Huai.

Burmese: from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name from wai ‘to be luxuriant’.

— Note: Since Burmese do not have hereditary surnames, this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Wai family from?

You can see how Wai families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wai family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Wai families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Wai family living in Northumberland. This was 100% of all the recorded Wai's in United Kingdom. Northumberland had the highest population of Wai families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wai 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 Wai ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Wai. 39% of Wai men worked as a Laborer.

View Census Data for Wai | 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
    39%
  • Cook
    28%
  • Proprietor
    23%
  • Butcher
    12%

What Wai family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Wai. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wai census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wai

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Wai. 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 Wai immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Wai. For the veterans among your Wai ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wai military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wai family history

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What is the average Wai lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Wai life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1983. The average life expectancy for Wai in 1945 was 40, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wai

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

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