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 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.

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Wolf Family Occupations

What did your Wolf ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Private Means and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the UK named Wolf. 16% of Wolf men worked as a Private Means and 68% of Wolf women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wolf were Jeweller and Unpaid Domestic

View Census data for Wolf | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1939

  • Private Means
    16%
  • General Labourer
    12%
  • Retired
    12%
  • Jeweller
    12%

Top Female Occupations in 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Private Means
    6%
  • Domestic Servant
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

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 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.

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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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