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Wess Family History

Wess Surname Meaning

German: from a short form of the ancient Germanic personal name Wasmuot. English: variant of Wass.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Wess family from?

You can see how Wess families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wess family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wess families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 31 Wess families living in London. This was about 18% of all the recorded Wess's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Wess families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wess 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 Wess ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Wess. 73% of Wess women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Wess | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Domestic Duties
    17%
  • Housekeeper
    12%

What Wess family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Wess. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wess census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wess

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Wess. For the veterans among your Wess ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wess military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wess family history

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What is the average Wess lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Wess life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Wess in 1952 was 43, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wess

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wess 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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