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Willett Family History

Willett Surname Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal names Wilot Wilet pet forms of Will itself a short form of William. English: sometimes a variant of Willard.

English: perhaps occasionally a habitational name from Willet in Elworthy (Somerset). It is from an earlier name of Doniford Stream which rises at Willet and is probably a compound of Old English wiell will ‘spring’ + an unrecorded gīete ‘stream’.

Variant of Willette 1 a surname of French origin.

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


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Where is the Willett family from?

You can see how Willett families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Willett family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Willett families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 491 Willett families living in London. This was about 17% of all the recorded Willett's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Willett families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Willett 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 Willett 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 Willett. 9% of Willett men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Willett women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Willett were Agricultural Labourer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Willett | 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
    9%
  • Farmer
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Agricultural Labourer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Willett family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 106,000 census records available for the last name Willett. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Willett census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Willett

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Willett. 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 Willett immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Willett. For the veterans among your Willett ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Willett military records

You've only scratched the surface of Willett family history

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What is the average Willett lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Willett life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Willett in 1940 was 53, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Willett

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Willett 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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