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Work Family History

Work Surname Meaning

Scottish (Orkney): habitational name from the lands of Work in the parish of Saint Ola Orkney. English: from Middle English werk ‘earthwork fortification’ Older Scots wark ‘work building’ (both from Old English (ge)weorc) a topographic or occupational name for a person who lived or worked at a fort earthwork or similar construction.

It can also be a habitational name from any place so called, such as Wark (Northumberland). Danish: habitational name from a place so called.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Work family from?

You can see how Work families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Work family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Work families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 24 Work families living in Lancashire. This was about 21% of all the recorded Work's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Work families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Work 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 Work 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 Work. 100% of Work men worked as a General Labourer and 87% of Work women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Work | 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
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    87%
  • L C C Attendant
    7%
  • Housewife
    7%

What Work family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 57,000 census records available for the last name Work. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Work census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Work

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 37,000 military records available for the last name Work. For the veterans among your Work ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Work military records

You've only scratched the surface of Work family history

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What is the average Work lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Work life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Work in 1950 was 43, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Work

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Work 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Work family tree

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