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Want Family History

Want Surname Meaning

English: from Middle English wand want ‘mole’ (Old English wand) perhaps a nickname for a short-sighted person. Perhaps occasionally a nickname from Old French want ‘glove’ but this is much less likely.

English: topographic name for someone who lived at a cross-road (from Middle English want ‘cross-roads’) a dialect form of Went.

Dutch: metonymic occupational name for a glove maker from Middle Dutch wante ‘glove’.

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


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Where is the Want family from?

You can see how Want families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Want family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Want families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 168 Want families living in London. This was about 24% of all the recorded Want's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Want families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Want 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 Want 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 Want. 17% of Want men worked as a General Labourer and 78% of Want women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Want were Cowman and Housewife.

View Census Data for Want | 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
    17%
  • Window Cleaner
    9%
  • Bricklayer
    7%
  • Cowman
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Want family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 20,000 census records available for the last name Want. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Want census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Want

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Want. 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 Want immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Want. For the veterans among your Want ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Want military records

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