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Wham Family History

Wham Name Meaning

English: topographic name for someone who lived in a corner or angle or land from Old English hwamm ‘corner angle or small valley’ (which may sometimes be from Old Norse hvammr) or a habitational name from any of several places called with this term such as the Wham placenames in Yorkshire.

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


Similar surnames: Ham, Hamm, Way, Sham, Cham, Winham, Isham, Newham, Shan, Wray

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 Wham family from?

You can see how Wham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wham families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 2 Wham families living in Illinois. This was about 40% of all the recorded Wham's in USA. Illinois had the highest population of Wham families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wham surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Wham ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wham. 38% of Wham men worked as a Farmer and 64% of Wham women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wham were Manager and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Wham | 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
    38%
  • Lawyer
    16%
  • Farm Laborer
    10%
  • Manager
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    64%
  • Secretary
    19%
  • Housewife
    19%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Wham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Wham

Passenger Lists

There are 309 immigration records available for the last name Wham. 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 Wham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 972 military records available for the last name Wham. For the veterans among your Wham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wham military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wham family history

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What is the average Wham lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Wham life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2002, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Wham in 1954 was 34, and 89 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wham

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Wham family tree

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