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Waters Family History

Waters Name Meaning

English and Scottish: variant of Water 1 and 2 with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. Irish: when not the English surname this is an Anglicized form of various Gaelic names taken to be derived from uisce ‘water’ (see for example Haskin Hiskey ).

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


Similar surnames: Water, Watters, Warters, Walters, Gates, Cater, Sayers, Matters

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 Waters family from?

You can see how Waters families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Waters family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Waters families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 254 Waters families living in New York. This was about 22% of all the recorded Waters's in USA. New York had the highest population of Waters families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Waters surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Waters ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Waters. 18% of Waters men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Waters women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Waters were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Waters | 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
    18%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    9%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Waters family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 443,000 census records available for the last name Waters. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Waters census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Waters

Passenger Lists

There are 51,000 immigration records available for the last name Waters. 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 Waters immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 70,000 military records available for the last name Waters. For the veterans among your Waters ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Waters military records

You've only scratched the surface of Waters family history

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What is the average Waters lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Waters life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Waters in 1940 was 33, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Waters

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