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Wightman Family History

Wightman Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: nickname from Middle English wight, Older Scots wicht ‘brave, strong; swift, nimble, agile’ (see Wight) + man ‘man’ also used in Middle English as a personal name.

It may sometimes have been confused with Whiteman, a variant of Whitman.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Wightman family from?

You can see how Wightman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wightman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wightman families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 204 Wightman families living in London. This was about 13% of all the recorded Wightman's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Wightman families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wightman 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 Wightman 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 Wightman. 8% of Wightman men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Wightman women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wightman were Farmer and Unpaid Household Duties.

View Census Data for Wightman | 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
    8%
  • Retired
    7%
  • Police Constable
    6%
  • Farmer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    2%

What Wightman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 58,000 census records available for the last name Wightman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wightman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wightman

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Wightman. 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 Wightman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Wightman. For the veterans among your Wightman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wightman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wightman family history

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What is the average Wightman lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Wightman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Wightman in 1958 was 33, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wightman

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wightman 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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