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Wheeler Family History

Wheeler Name Meaning

English: occupational name for a wheelwright a maker of wheels (primarily for carts and other vehicles but also other kinds of wheels for use in spinning or other manufacturing processes) from Middle English wheler whegheler a derivative of Old English hweogol hweowol hwēol ‘wheel’.

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


Similar surnames: Wheeles, Weller, Keeler, Wheeley, Heller, Theiler, Hebeler, Heiler

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Wheeler family from?

You can see how Wheeler families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wheeler family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wheeler families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 859 Wheeler families living in New York. This was about 26% of all the recorded Wheeler's in USA. New York had the highest population of Wheeler families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wheeler surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Wheeler ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wheeler. 15% of Wheeler men worked as a Farmer and 7% of Wheeler women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wheeler were Truck Driver and Maid. .

View Census Data for Wheeler | 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
    15%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

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

What Wheeler family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Wheeler. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wheeler census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Wheeler

Passenger Lists

There are 73,000 immigration records available for the last name Wheeler. 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 165,000 military records available for the last name Wheeler. For the veterans among your Wheeler ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Wheeler lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Wheeler life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Wheeler in 1940 was 46, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wheeler

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