Wolf Family History

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Wolf Name Meaning

English, Danish, and German: from a short form of the various Germanic compound names with a first element wolf ‘wolf’, or a byname or nickname with this meaning. The wolf was native throughout the forests of Europe, including Britain, until comparatively recently. In ancient and medieval times it played an important role in Germanic mythology, being regarded as one of the sacred beasts of Woden. This name is widespread throughout northern, central, and eastern Europe, as well as in Britain and German-speaking countries. German: habitational name for someone living at a house distinguished by the sign of a wolf, Middle High German wolf. Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish male personal name Volf meaning ‘wolf’, which is associated with the Hebrew personal name Binyamin (see Benjamin). This association stems from Jacob’s dying words ‘Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil’ (Genesis 49:27). Irish: variant spelling of Woulfe.

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


Similar surnames: Nolf, Rolf, Wall, Wold, Wolff, Wolfer, Wald, Wolfe, Bolt, Soll

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Wolf Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Wolf name?

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

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  • England & Wales

    40%

  • Germanic Europe

    17%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    14%

  • European Jewish

    8%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    6%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Wolf Family Origin

Where is the Wolf family from?

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You can see how Wolf families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wolf family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wolf families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 207 Wolf families living in London. This was about 35% of all the recorded Wolf's in the UK. London had the highest population of Wolf families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wolf surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Wolf

Wolf Family Occupations

What did your Wolf ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, a less common occupation for the Wolf family was Farmer. The most common Wolf occupation in the UK was Baker. 4% of Wolf's were Bakers. Baker, Labourer and Butcher were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Wolf.

View Census data for Wolf | Data not to scale

  • Baker

    4%

  • Labourer

    4%

  • Butcher

    3%

  • Farmer

    3%

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

Wolf Historical Records

What Wolf family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 485,000 census records available for the last name Wolf. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wolf 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 Wolf

Passenger List

There are 89,000 immigration records available for the last name Wolf. 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.

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Draft Card

There are 135,000 military records available for the last name Wolf. For the veterans among your Wolf ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wolf military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wolf family history.

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Wolf Life Expectancy

What is the average Wolf lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Wolf life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Wolf in 1943 was 33, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wolf

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wolf 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 Wolf Family Ancestors

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