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Whittier Family History

Whittier Surname Meaning

English: occupational name for a dresser of white leather someone who tawed skins into white leather from Middle English whīt ‘white’ + tawyere towyere tewere an agent noun from West Saxon Old English tāwian Anglian tēwian ‘to taw’.

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


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Where is the Whittier family from?

You can see how Whittier families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whittier family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whittier families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 16 Whittier families living in Sussex. This was about 29% of all the recorded Whittier's in United Kingdom. Sussex had the highest population of Whittier families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whittier 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 Whittier ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Whittier. 14% of Whittier men worked as a Laborer and 14% of Whittier women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whittier were Truck Driver and Clerk.

View Census Data for Whittier | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    14%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Salesman
    10%
  • Truck Driver
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    14%
  • Teacher
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Clerk
    8%

What Whittier family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 27,000 census records available for the last name Whittier. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whittier census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Whittier

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Whittier. For the veterans among your Whittier ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Whittier military records

You've only scratched the surface of Whittier family history

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What is the average Whittier lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Whittier life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Whittier in 1955 was 52, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Whittier

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Whittier 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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