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Wall Family History

Wall Surname Meaning

English: topographic name for someone who lived by a stone-built wall e.g. one used to fortify a town or to keep back the encroachment of the sea (Middle English wall ‘wall’ Old English wall weall from Latin vallum ‘rampart, palisade’) or a habitational name from a place so named such as Wall (Staffordshire).

English (West Midlands): topographic name for someone who lived by a spring or stream northern Middle English wall(e) (Old English (Mercian) wæll(a); compare Well).

Irish (of Norman origin): Anglicized form of de Valle (Gaelicized form de Bhál) the name of a Norman family established in Munster and Connacht.

German: topographic name for someone who lived by a defensive wall Middle High German wal. German: variant of Wahl German: from a short form of the personal name Walther.

Swedish: ornamental name from a variant of the element vall ‘grassy bank, pasture’ or in some cases a habitational name from a place called with this element.

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


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Where is the Wall family from?

You can see how Wall families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wall family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wall families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,626 Wall families living in London. This was about 14% of all the recorded Wall's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Wall families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wall 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 Wall 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 Wall. 8% of Wall men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Wall women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wall were Builders Labourer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Wall | 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
    8%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Farmer
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

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

What Wall family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 532,000 census records available for the last name Wall. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wall census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wall

Passenger Lists

There are 64,000 immigration records available for the last name Wall. 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 Wall immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 82,000 military records available for the last name Wall. For the veterans among your Wall ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wall military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wall family history

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What is the average Wall lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Wall life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Wall in 1943 was 44, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wall

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wall 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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