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Wess Family History

Wess Name Meaning

German: from a short form of the ancient Germanic personal name Wasmuot. English: variant of Wass .

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


Similar surnames: Weiss, Ress, Gess, Hess, Ness, Bess, Wass, Deiss, Wels, Wyss

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Wess family from?

You can see how Wess families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wess family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wess families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there was 1 Wess family living in Illinois. This was about 33% of all the recorded Wess's in USA. Illinois and 2 other states had the highest population of Wess families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wess surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Wess ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wess. 25% of Wess men worked as a Laborer and 14% of Wess women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wess were Truck Driver and Maid. .

View Census Data for Wess | 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

  • Laborer
    25%
  • Farmer
    16%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Truck Driver
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    14%
  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Teacher
    11%
  • Maid
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wess family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Wess. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wess census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Wess

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Wess. 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 Wess immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Wess. For the veterans among your Wess ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wess military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wess family history

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What is the average Wess lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Wess life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Wess in 1952 was 43, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wess

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Wess family tree

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