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Whiston Family History

Whiston Surname Meaning

English (North and West Midlands): habitational name from any of various places called Whiston (in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, and two places in Staffordshire) or from Wiston in Sussex. The Yorkshire and Lancashire placenames derive from Old English hwīt ‘white’ + stān ‘stone’; Whiston near Cheadle (Staffordshire) has the same etymology.

Whiston near Penkridge (Staffordshire) derives from an Old English personal name Witi (genitive Wites) + Old English tūn ‘farmstead, estate’. The Northamptonshire placename derives from the Old English tribal name Hwicce (genitive Hwiccena) + tūn or perhaps from an Old English personal name Hwicca + Old English connective -ing- + tūn.

The Sussex placename derives from the Old English personal name Wīgstan (genitive Wīgstanes) + tūn. Sometimes this name is a variant of Whitestone.

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


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Where is the Whiston family from?

You can see how Whiston families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whiston family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whiston families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 218 Whiston families living in Staffordshire. This was about 25% of all the recorded Whiston's in United Kingdom. Staffordshire had the highest population of Whiston families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whiston surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Whiston ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Whiston. 12% of Whiston men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Whiston women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whiston were Bricklayer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Whiston | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    12%
  • Incapacitated
    8%
  • House Painter
    6%
  • Bricklayer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Private Means
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Whiston family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Whiston. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whiston census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Whiston

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Whiston. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Whiston immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Whiston. For the veterans among your Whiston ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Whiston military records

You've only scratched the surface of Whiston family history

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What is the average Whiston lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Whiston life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1966, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Whiston in 1963 was 89, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Whiston

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Whiston 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.

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