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Wass Family History

Wass Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): from the Old French personal name Wace (ancient Germanic Waz(z)o) a pet form of any of various ancient Germanic personal names beginning with Wad- (compare Wade). The name Wace was common among the Normans alongside the Parisian French variant Gace and was latinized as Wazo (nominative) Wazonis (genitive).

English (of Norman origin): occasionally perhaps a variant of Vause with vocalizing of initial V-. German: nickname from Middle High German was(se) ‘sharp cutting’.

Swedish: soldier's name from vass ‘sharp cutting’. Swedish: ornamental or topographic name from a variant of vass ‘reed marsh’.

German: metonymic occupational name for a seller of wax from Middle Low German was ‘wax’ (see Wax).

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


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Where is the Wass family from?

You can see how Wass families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wass family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wass families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 357 Wass families living in Yorkshire. This was about 20% of all the recorded Wass's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Wass families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wass 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 Wass 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 Wass. 10% of Wass men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Wass women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wass were Bricklayer and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Wass | 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
    10%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%
  • Incapacitated
    7%
  • Bricklayer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Household Duties
    3%
  • Housekeeper
    2%

What Wass family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 42,000 census records available for the last name Wass. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wass census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wass

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Wass. 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 Wass immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Wass military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wass family history

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What is the average Wass lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Wass life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Wass in 1954 was 55, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wass

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wass 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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