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Wansley Family History

Wansley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Wansley in Devon named with the Old English personal name Want + lēah ‘woodland clearing’ or from Hutton Wandesley in North Yorkshire named with an unattested Old English personal name (Wand or Wandel) + lēah.

The latter seems the more likely source the surname having been concentrated in Lancashire in the late 19th century.

Today there are few if any bearers of the surname in Britain.

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


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Where is the Wansley family from?

You can see how Wansley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wansley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wansley families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 13 Wansley families living in London. This was about 24% of all the recorded Wansley's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Wansley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wansley 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 Wansley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Wansley. 100% of Wansley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Wansley | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Wansley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Wansley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wansley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wansley

Passenger Lists

There are 230 immigration records available for the last name Wansley. 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 Wansley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 774 military records available for the last name Wansley. For the veterans among your Wansley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wansley military records

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