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Wolfe Family History

Wolfe Name Meaning

English German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Wolf and in North America (also) an altered form of this. This is also a common spelling in Ireland (see also Woulfe ) particularly in counties Cork and Limerick while in Germany this surname is very rare. Americanized form of various other surnames meaning ‘wolf’ e.g. Hungarian Farkas Czech and Slovak Vlk Slovenian and other Slavic Volk Vovk and Vuk (see Wolf ).

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


Similar surnames: Wolf, Woulfe, Wolffe, Wolff, Wolle, Rolfe, Wilde, Wolfer, Bolte

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 Wolfe family from?

You can see how Wolfe families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wolfe family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wolfe families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 42 Wolfe families living in Ohio. This was about 25% of all the recorded Wolfe's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Wolfe families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wolfe surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Wolfe ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wolfe. 14% of Wolfe men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Wolfe women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wolfe were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Wolfe | 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
    14%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    7%
  • Stenographer
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wolfe family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 280,000 census records available for the last name Wolfe. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wolfe census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Wolfe

Passenger Lists

There are 30,000 immigration records available for the last name Wolfe. 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 Wolfe immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 71,000 military records available for the last name Wolfe. For the veterans among your Wolfe ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wolfe military records

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What is the average Wolfe lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Wolfe life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Wolfe in 1940 was 57, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wolfe

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