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Willett Family History

Willett Name Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal names Wilot Wilet pet forms of Will itself a short form of William . English: sometimes a variant of Willard . English: perhaps occasionally a habitational name from Willet in Elworthy (Somerset). It is from an earlier name of Doniford Stream which rises at Willet and is probably a compound of Old English wiell will ‘spring’ + an unrecorded gīete ‘stream’. Variant of Willette 1 a surname of French origin.

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


Similar surnames: Willette, Willet, Gillett, Tillett, Wallett, Pellett, Gillet, Willits

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Willett family from?

You can see how Willett families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Willett family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Willett families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 27 Willett families living in New York. This was about 19% of all the recorded Willett's in USA. New York had the highest population of Willett families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Willett surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Willett ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Willett. 17% of Willett men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Willett women worked as a Housework. Some less common occupations for Americans named Willett were Salesman and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Willett | 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
    17%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Truck Driver
    5%
  • Salesman
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    8%
  • Teacher
    8%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Willett family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 106,000 census records available for the last name Willett. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Willett census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Willett

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Willett. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Willett. For the veterans among your Willett ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Willett lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Willett life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Willett in 1940 was 53, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Willett

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