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Origins of the Wilson surname

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What does the name Wilson mean?

The Wilson surname is a patronymic name originating most often in England and Scotland, and found as early as the 1300s. Wilson is the second most common surname in Scotland, seventh most common surname in England and tenth most popular name in the United States of America. Because of the plantation of Ulster and the arrival of numerous settlers from Scotland, it is also the most prevalent surname in Northern Ireland. The surname Wilson derives from being the 'son of Will/William', ensuring that the name has appeared in many parts of the English-speaking world independently, with no single common place of creation.

Alternative variations of the name Wilson

Wilson, Willson, Wilsone, Wilsoun, Willison

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Where do most Wilsons live?

In 1921, most Wilsons lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Wilsons

How common is your surname?

6th most common surname in the UK

We have 1,300,000 records for the Wilson surname. The oldest one dates back to 1220.

Who were Wilsons most likely to marry?

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Wilsons.

What are the most common Wilson first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Wilson family members

Common jobs for Wilsons

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Wilsons in 1921
Dressmaker

5,892

Domestic Servant

3,761

Housekeeper

2,706

Laundress

2,660

General Servant Domestic

2,509

Common Male occupations for Wilsons in 1921
Coal Miner

7,723

General Labourer

4,806

Farmer

4,380

Agricultural Labourer

3,822

Joiner

3,712

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 1,000,000 family trees with the Wilson surname

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