Wachter Family History

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Wachter Name Meaning

German (also Wächter) and Dutch: occupational name for a watchman, from Middle High German wachtære, wehtære, Middle Dutch wacht(e)re, German Wachter ‘watchman’, ‘guard’. Jewish (Ashkenazic): from German Wachter ‘watchman’, perhaps an occupational name by a synagogue beadle (Yiddish shames).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Wachtel, Pachter, Achter, Lichter, Richter, Dichter, Bacher, Lachner

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Wachter Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Wachter name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Wachter. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    36%

  • Germanic Europe

    18%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    17%

  • Italy

    5%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    5%

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Wachter Family Origin

Where is the Wachter family from?

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You can see how Wachter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wachter family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Wachter families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 12 Wachter families living in Essex. This was about 36% of all the recorded Wachter's in the UK. Essex had the highest population of Wachter families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wachter surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Wachter

Wachter Family Occupations

What did your Wachter ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, the most common Wachter occupation in the UK was Boot Maker. 17% of Wachter's were Boot Makers. Boot Maker, Butcher and Head Of Ladies School were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Wachter. A less common occupation for the Wachter family was Importer Of Foreign Goods (Merchant).

View Census data for Wachter | Data not to scale

  • Boot Maker

    17%

  • Butcher

    17%

  • Head Of Ladies School

    17%

  • Importer Of Foreign Goods (Merchant)

    17%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Wachter ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Wachter Historical Records

What Wachter family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 21,000 census records available for the last name Wachter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wachter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1891 UK census records for Wachter

Passenger List

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Wachter. 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 Wachter immigration records

Draft Card

There are 14,000 military records available for the last name Wachter. For the veterans among your Wachter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wachter military records

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Wachter Life Expectancy

What is the average Wachter lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Wachter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Wachter in 1943 was 33, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wachter

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wachter 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.

Famous Wachter Family Ancestors

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