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Wathen Family History

Wathen Surname Meaning

Welsh: possibly from the personal name Gwaiddan which is found as part of placenames in Robeston Wathen near Narberth Pembrokeshire and the nearby Llanwathen.

Llanwathen comes from the Welsh llan meaning ‘church’ combined with Gwaiddon.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Wathen family from?

You can see how Wathen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wathen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wathen families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 145 Wathen families living in Gloucestershire. This was about 23% of all the recorded Wathen's in United Kingdom. Gloucestershire had the highest population of Wathen families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wathen 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 Wathen 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 Wathen. 20% of Wathen men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Wathen women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wathen were General Labourer (heavy and Private Means.

View Census Data for Wathen | 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
    20%
  • Farm Labourer
    9%
  • Farmer (retired)
    6%
  • General Labourer (heavy
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    4%
  • Domestic Duties
    4%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Wathen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 21,000 census records available for the last name Wathen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wathen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wathen

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Wathen. For the veterans among your Wathen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wathen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wathen family history

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What is the average Wathen lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Wathen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1979. The average life expectancy for Wathen in 1952 was 72, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wathen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wathen 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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