Wright Family History

Wright Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: occupational name for a craftsman or maker of machinery mostly in wood of any of a wide range of kinds from Middle English and Older Scots wriht wright wricht writh write (Old English wyrhta wryhta) ‘craftsman’ especially ‘carpenter joiner’.

The term is found in various combinations (for example Cartwright and Wainwright) but when used in isolation it often referred to a builder of windmills or watermills.

This surname is also very common among African Americans.

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

Similar surnames: Bright, Knight, Wight, Slight, Light, Arkwright, High, Upright, Wicht, Wrights

5M	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
515K	Military Records
333K	Immigration Records
3M	Census and Voter Lists
9M	Member Trees

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

Where is the Wright family from?

You can see how Wright families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wright family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wright families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 14,037 Wright families living in London. This was about 14% of all the recorded Wright's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Wright families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wright surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Wright

What did your Wright 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 Wright. 6% of Wright men worked as a General labourer and 63% of Wright women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wright were Bricklayer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Wright

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.

General labourer

Builders labourer

Incapacitated

Bricklayer

Unpaid domestic duties

63%

Unpaid domestic

Housewife

Incapacitated

What Wright family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 3M census records available for the last name Wright. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wright census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wright

Passenger List

There are 333K immigration records available for the last name Wright. 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 Wright immigration records

Military Records

There are 515K military records available for the last name Wright. For the veterans among your Wright ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wright military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wright family history

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What is the average Wright lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Wright life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Wright in 1940 was 36, and 73 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Wright family tree

Explore Your Tree

Search for another surname

Wright Surname Meaning

The term is found in various combinations (for example Cartwright and Wainwright) but when used in isolation it often referred to a builder of windmills or watermills.

This surname is also very common among African Americans.

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

Where is the Wright family from?

What did your Wright ancestors do for a living?

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.

General labourer

Builders labourer

Incapacitated

Bricklayer

Unpaid domestic duties

63%

Unpaid domestic

Housewife

Incapacitated

What Wright family records will you find?

What is the average Wright lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Wright life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Wright in 1940 was 36, and 73 in 2004.

Wright Family History

Wright Surname Meaning

19 million record(s) for Wright

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

Where is the Wright family from?

What did your Wright ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Wright family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Wright family history

What is the average Wright lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Wright family tree

Search for another surname

Wright Surname Meaning

19 million record(s) for Wright

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

Where is the Wright family from?

What did your Wright ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Wright family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Wright family history

What is the average Wright lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Wright family tree

Search for another surname