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Wigley Family History

Wigley Name Meaning

English: habitational name from Wigley in Brampton (Derbyshire) or Wigley in Copythorne (Hampshire) both of which are named from the Old English personal name Wicga (meaning ‘beetle insect’) or Old English wigga ‘beetle insect’ + lēah ‘wood woodland clearing’.

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


Similar surnames: Willey, Wrigley, Iley, Riley, Midgley, Ripley, Wiley, Webley, Withey

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Wigley family from?

You can see how Wigley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wigley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wigley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 10 Wigley families living in Georgia. This was about 43% of all the recorded Wigley's in USA. Georgia had the highest population of Wigley families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wigley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Wigley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wigley. 34% of Wigley men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Wigley women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wigley were Truck Driver and Waitress. .

View Census Data for Wigley | 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
    34%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Carpenter
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Clerk
    9%
  • Waitress
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wigley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 45,000 census records available for the last name Wigley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wigley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Wigley

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Wigley. 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 Wigley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Wigley. For the veterans among your Wigley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Wigley lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Wigley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Wigley in 1941 was 43, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wigley

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