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Wilby Family History

Wilby Surname Meaning

English:: habitational name from any of the places called Wilby in Suffolk, Norfolk, and Northamptonshire. The first placename is probably named from an Old English wilig ‘willow’ + Old English bēag ‘circle ring’; the Norfolk placename derives from Old English wilig + bēag or Old Norse bý ‘farmstead village’; the Northamptonshire placename derives from the Old Norse personal name Vili + bý.

Redmonds has demonstrated that in the parish of Hipperholme and subsequently elsewhere in Yorkshire, Wilby occurs as a variant of Willoughby.

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


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Where is the Wilby family from?

You can see how Wilby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wilby family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wilby families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 948 Wilby families living in Yorkshire. This was about 51% of all the recorded Wilby's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Wilby families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wilby 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 Wilby 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 Wilby. 14% of Wilby men worked as a General Labourer and 74% of Wilby women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wilby were Builders Labourer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Wilby | 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
    14%
  • Farm Labourer
    6%
  • Cowman
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Wilby family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 46,000 census records available for the last name Wilby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wilby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wilby

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Wilby military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wilby family history

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What is the average Wilby lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Wilby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2000, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Wilby in 1958 was 64, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wilby

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wilby 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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