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Way Family History

Way Surname Meaning

English (mainly southern): topographic name for someone who lived near a road or path from Middle English wei (Old English weg cognate with Old Norse vegr Old High German weg) or a habitational name from some minor place called with this word as for example any of the places called Way or Waye in Devon or Way in Somerset and Kent.

Chinese: variant of Wei.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Way family from?

You can see how Way families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Way family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Way families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 746 Way families living in London. This was about 21% of all the recorded Way's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Way families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Way 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 Way 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 Way. 9% of Way men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Way women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Way were Builders Labourer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Way | 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%
  • Colliery Hewer
    4%
  • Retired
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

What Way family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 212,000 census records available for the last name Way. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Way census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Way

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Way. 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 Way immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 65,000 military records available for the last name Way. For the veterans among your Way ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Way military records

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