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Willing Family History

Willing Surname Meaning

German: patronymic from Wille. German: habitational name from any of several places in Bavaria named Willing or places in Hesse and near Soltau named Willingen.

English: habitational name from Willing in Rattery (Devon). The placename appears to derive from Old English willen, weak plural form of willa, wella ‘well, spring, stream’.

English: perhaps a nickname from Middle English willing ‘willing’.

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


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Where is the Willing family from?

You can see how Willing families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Willing family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Willing families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 163 Willing families living in London. This was about 27% of all the recorded Willing's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Willing families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Willing 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 Willing ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Bricklayer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Willing. 19% of Willing men worked as a Bricklayer and 77% of Willing women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Willing were Tool Maker and Domestic Duties Unpaid.

View Census Data for Willing | 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

  • Bricklayer
    19%
  • General Labourer
    19%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Tool Maker
    13%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Duties Unpaid
    3%

What Willing family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 24,000 census records available for the last name Willing. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Willing census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Willing

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Willing. 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 Willing immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Willing. For the veterans among your Willing ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Willing military records

You've only scratched the surface of Willing family history

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What is the average Willing lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Willing life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Willing in 1945 was 55, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Willing

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Willing 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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