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Western Family History

Western Name Meaning

English: from Middle English westerne ‘western’ denoting ‘(the man from the) west’. Compare West and Wester . Norwegian: habitational name from the farm name Vestern found in two places a compound of vest ‘west’ + vin ‘meadow’ denoting a farm to the west.

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


Similar surnames: Weston, Westen, Vester, Westerman, Westman, Esten, Lester, Wester

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 Western family from?

You can see how Western families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Western family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Western families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 21 Western families living in New York. This was about 38% of all the recorded Western's in USA. New York had the highest population of Western families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Western surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Western ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Western. 22% of Western men worked as a Laborer and 13% of Western women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Western were Carpenter and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Western | 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
    22%
  • Farmer
    22%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Carpenter
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    13%
  • Housewife
    9%
  • Stenographer
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Western family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 49,000 census records available for the last name Western. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Western census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Western

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Western. 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 Western immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 39,000 military records available for the last name Western. For the veterans among your Western ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Western military records

You've only scratched the surface of Western family history

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What is the average Western lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Western life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Western in 1947 was 35, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Western

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Western family tree

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