Will Family History

Will Surname Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal name Will, a short form of William. This surname is now commonly found in Scotland in Aberdeenshire, Angus, and Kincardineshire.

English: topographic name for someone who lived by a spring or stream from Middle English wel, wel(l)e, wille in a southwestern dialect form. This surname is found predominantly in the south and southwestern parts of the country. Compare Well.

English: nickname from Middle English iwil, wil(l)e ‘agreeable, pleasing’.

German: from a short form of any of various ancient Germanic personal names beginning with wil ‘will, desire’.

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

Similar surnames: Gill, Hill, Wall, Mill, Well, Bill, Wild, Dill, Wilk, Wills

183K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
23K	Military Records
17K	Immigration Records
98K	Census and Voter Lists
170K	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Will family from?

You can see how Will families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Will family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Will families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 201 Will families living in London. This was about 22% of all the recorded Will's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Will families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Will surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Will

What did your Will ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Medical practitioner and Unpaid domestic duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Will. 25% of Will men worked as a Medical practitioner and 70% of Will women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Will were General labourer and Cook.

View Census Data for Will

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.

Medical practitioner

25%

Chartered accountant

25%

bank official

17%

General labourer

17%

Unpaid domestic duties

70%

Unpaid domestic

Private means

Cook

What Will family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 98K census records available for the last name Will. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Will census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Will

Passenger List

There are 17K immigration records available for the last name Will. 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 Will immigration records

Military Records

There are 23K military records available for the last name Will. For the veterans among your Will ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Will military records

You've only scratched the surface of Will family history

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What is the average Will lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Will life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Will in 1943 was 54, and 76 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Will family tree

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Will Surname Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal name Will, a short form of William. This surname is now commonly found in Scotland in Aberdeenshire, Angus, and Kincardineshire.

English: nickname from Middle English iwil, wil(l)e ‘agreeable, pleasing’.

German: from a short form of any of various ancient Germanic personal names beginning with wil ‘will, desire’.

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

Where is the Will family from?

What did your Will ancestors do for a living?

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.

Medical practitioner

25%

Chartered accountant

25%

bank official

17%

General labourer

17%

Unpaid domestic duties

70%

Unpaid domestic

Private means

Cook

What Will family records will you find?

What is the average Will lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Will life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Will in 1943 was 54, and 76 in 2004.

Will Family History

Will Surname Meaning

493,000 record(s) for Will

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Will family from?

What did your Will ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Will family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Will family history

What is the average Will lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Will family tree

Search for another surname

Will Surname Meaning

493,000 record(s) for Will

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Will family from?

What did your Will ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Will family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Will family history

What is the average Will lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Will family tree

Search for another surname