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Witney Family History

Witney Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Witney in Oxfordshire which for centuries was a centre of the wool trade famous in particular for the manufacture of blankets.

The placename derives from the Old English personal name Witta (genitive Wittan) + Old English ēg īeg ‘island’.

There may have been some confusion with Whitney.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Witney family from?

You can see how Witney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Witney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Witney families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 161 Witney families living in Oxfordshire. This was about 26% of all the recorded Witney's in United Kingdom. Oxfordshire had the highest population of Witney families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Witney 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 Witney 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 Witney. 12% of Witney men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Witney women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Witney were Incapacitated and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Witney | 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
    12%
  • Chairmaker
    8%
  • Farmworker
    8%
  • Incapacitated
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    6%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%

What Witney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Witney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Witney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Witney

Passenger Lists

There are 855 immigration records available for the last name Witney. 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 Witney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 876 military records available for the last name Witney. For the veterans among your Witney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Witney military records

You've only scratched the surface of Witney family history

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What is the average Witney lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2002, in the United States, Witney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1971, and highest in 1985. The average life expectancy for Witney in 1963 was 75, and 88 in 2002.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Witney

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Witney 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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