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Wakeman Family History

Wakeman Name Meaning

English: occupational name from Middle English wakeman ‘watchman town guard’ also ‘municipal officer responsible for night-time security and the town musicians’. Wakeman was the title of the chief magistrate of the borough of Ripon until 1604 when it was changed to mayor. He was the head of the body of wakemen whose duty was to blow a cow's horn every night at nine o'clock. If between then and sunrise any burglary took place it was made good at the public charge. See also Watchman .

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


Similar surnames: Warman, Wainman, Waxman, Waldman, Waterman, Wadman, Wakeland, Wakeham

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Where is the Wakeman family from?

You can see how Wakeman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wakeman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wakeman families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 195 Wakeman families living in London. This was about 20% of all the recorded Wakeman's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Wakeman families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wakeman surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Wakeman ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Gardener and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Wakeman. 10% of Wakeman men worked as a Gardener and 68% of Wakeman women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wakeman were Builders Labourer and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Wakeman | 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

  • Gardener
    10%
  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Incapacitated
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Housekeeper
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wakeman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 44,000 census records available for the last name Wakeman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wakeman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wakeman

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Wakeman. 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 Wakeman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Wakeman. For the veterans among your Wakeman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wakeman military records

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What is the average Wakeman lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Wakeman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Wakeman in 1951 was 45, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wakeman

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