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Willoughby Family History

Willoughby Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of various places called Willoughby for example in Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Warwickshire.

They are named from an Old English +wilig ‘willow’ + Old Norse bȳ ‘farmstead, village’.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Willoughby family from?

You can see how Willoughby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Willoughby family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Willoughby families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 545 Willoughby families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Willoughby's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Willoughby families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Willoughby 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 Willoughby 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 Willoughby. 16% of Willoughby men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Willoughby women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Willoughby were Builders Labourer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Willoughby | 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
    16%
  • Farmer
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Willoughby family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 118,000 census records available for the last name Willoughby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Willoughby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Willoughby

Passenger Lists

There are 10,000 immigration records available for the last name Willoughby. 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 Willoughby immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Willoughby. For the veterans among your Willoughby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Willoughby military records

You've only scratched the surface of Willoughby family history

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What is the average Willoughby lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Willoughby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Willoughby in 1941 was 56, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Willoughby

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Willoughby 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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