Watkins Family History

Watkins Surname Meaning

English and Welsh: variant of Watkin with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s.

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

Similar surnames: Atkins, Watkinson, Hawkins, Adkins, Harkins, Matkins, Alkins, Madkins, Watling, Atkin

4 million record(s) for Watkins

1M	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
117K	Military Records
103K	Immigration Records
703K	Census and Voter Lists
1M	Member Trees

Where is the Watkins family from?

You can see how Watkins families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Watkins family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Watkins families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 155 Watkins families living in Virginia. This was about 12% of all the recorded Watkins's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Watkins families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Watkins surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Watkins ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Watkins. 19% of Watkins men worked as a Laborer and 10% of Watkins women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Watkins were Truck driver and Teacher.

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

19%

Farmer

18%

Salesman

4%

Truck driver

3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Maid

10%

Housekeeper

7%

Cook

6%

Teacher

6%

What Watkins family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 703K census records available for the last name Watkins. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Watkins census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 103K immigration records available for the last name Watkins. 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.

Military Records

There are 117K military records available for the last name Watkins. For the veterans among your Watkins ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Watkins lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Watkins life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Watkins in 1940 was 38, and 73 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Watkins ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.