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Wafer Family History

Wafer Name Meaning

English:: occupational name from Middle English Anglo-Norman French wafrer ‘waferer’ i.e. a maker or seller of wafers or thin cakes. Wafrer was shortened to Wafre or Wafer to avoid the awkward repetition of the -r-. Waferers sold sweet spiced cakes but they were also concerned with the provision of wafers for the eucharist. This surname is also found in Ireland particularly in County Wexford. from the Old French personal name Waifar Waifer Old French Gaifier of ancient Germanic origin.

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


Similar surnames: Hayer, Water, Hafer, Wager, Paver, Cater, Baker, Bader, Mager, Wolfer

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Wafer family from?

You can see how Wafer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wafer family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Wafer families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 3 Wafer families living in Illinois. This was about 25% of all the recorded Wafer's in USA. Illinois and 1 other state had the highest population of Wafer families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wafer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Wafer ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Cook were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wafer. 41% of Wafer men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Wafer women worked as a Cook. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wafer were Farming and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Wafer | 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 1940

  • Farmer
    41%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Farm Laborer
    10%
  • Farming
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Cook
    20%
  • Maid
    11%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Clerk
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wafer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Wafer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wafer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Wafer

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Wafer. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Wafer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Wafer. For the veterans among your Wafer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wafer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wafer family history

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What is the average Wafer lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Wafer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Wafer in 1944 was 39, and 67 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wafer

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