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Willliam Family History

Willliam Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: William, Gwilliam, Gilliam, Williams, Willkomm, Willing, Hillian

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Willliam family from?

You can see how Willliam families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Willliam family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1880 and 1920. The most Willliam families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 2 Willliam families living in Yorkshire. This was 100% of all the recorded Willliam's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Willliam families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Willliam 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 Willliam ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Cook were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Willliam. 50% of Willliam men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Willliam women worked as a Cook.

View Census Data for Willliam | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    50%
  • Farmer
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Cook
    100%

What Willliam family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 105 census records available for the last name Willliam. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Willliam census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Willliam

Passenger Lists

There are 20 immigration records available for the last name Willliam. 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 Willliam immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 71 military records available for the last name Willliam. For the veterans among your Willliam ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Willliam military records

You've only scratched the surface of Willliam family history

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What is the average Willliam lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Willliam 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.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Willliam

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