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While Family History

While Surname Meaning

English (West Midlands): habitational name from Whyle (Herefordshire) which is of unexplained etymology.

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 While family from?

You can see how While families moved over time by selecting different census years. The While family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most While families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 188 While families living in London. This was about 16% of all the recorded While's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of While families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the While 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 While 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 While. 19% of While men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of While women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named While were Builders Foreman and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for While | 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
    19%
  • Retired
    14%
  • Builders Labourer
    14%
  • Builders Foreman
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Unpaid Domestic Du
    4%
  • Housekeeper
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%

What While family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 41,000 census records available for the last name While. Like a window into their day-to-day life, While census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for While

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name While. 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 While immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 73,000 military records available for the last name While. For the veterans among your While ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all While military records

You've only scratched the surface of While family history

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What is the average While lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, While life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1973, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for While in 1964 was 71, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for While

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your While 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the While family tree

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