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Watt Family History

Watt Surname Meaning

Scottish and English: from the common Middle English personal name Wat(t) a short form of Walter.

West African (Senegal and Mauritania): Tukulor name of unexplained etymology.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 屈 possibly based on its Cantonese pronunciation see Qu.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Watt family from?

You can see how Watt families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Watt family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Watt families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 565 Watt families living in Durham. This was about 22% of all the recorded Watt's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Watt families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Watt 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 Watt 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 Watt. 9% of Watt men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Watt women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Watt were Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Watt | 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
    9%
  • Railway Clerk
    3%
  • Dairy Farmer
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%

What Watt family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 298,000 census records available for the last name Watt. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Watt census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Watt

Passenger Lists

There are 184,000 immigration records available for the last name Watt. 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 Watt immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 30,000 military records available for the last name Watt. For the veterans among your Watt ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Watt military records

You've only scratched the surface of Watt family history

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What is the average Watt lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Watt life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Watt in 1944 was 42, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Watt

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Watt 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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