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Whitwell Family History

Whitwell Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of various places called Whitwell, especially those in Westmorland and North Yorkshire, also in Rutland, Norfolk, and Hertfordshire, all named with Old English hwīt ‘white’ + wella ‘well, spring, stream’.

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 Whitwell family from?

You can see how Whitwell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whitwell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whitwell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 197 Whitwell families living in Yorkshire. This was about 20% of all the recorded Whitwell's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Whitwell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whitwell 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 Whitwell ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Whitwell. 8% of Whitwell men worked as a Farmer and 64% of Whitwell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whitwell were Agricultural Labourer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Whitwell | 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

  • Farmer
    8%
  • General Labourer
    6%
  • Smallholder
    4%
  • Agricultural Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    64%
  • Housewife
    5%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Whitwell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 21,000 census records available for the last name Whitwell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whitwell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Whitwell

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Whitwell. For the veterans among your Whitwell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Whitwell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Whitwell family history

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What is the average Whitwell lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Whitwell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Whitwell in 1959 was 56, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Whitwell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Whitwell 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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