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Wright Family History

Wright Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: occupational name for a craftsman or maker of machinery mostly in wood of any of a wide range of kinds from Middle English and Older Scots wriht wright wricht writh write (Old English wyrhta wryhta) ‘craftsman’ especially ‘carpenter joiner’. The term is found in various combinations (for example Cartwright and Wainwright ) but when used in isolation it often referred to a builder of windmills or watermills. This surname is also very common among African Americans.

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


Similar surnames: Bright, Knight, Wight, Slight, Light, Arkwright, High, Upright, Wicht

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Wright family from?

You can see how Wright families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wright family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wright families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 1,251 Wright families living in New York. This was about 20% of all the recorded Wright's in USA. New York had the highest population of Wright families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wright surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Wright ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wright. 17% of Wright men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Wright women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wright were Truck Driver and Cook. .

View Census Data for Wright | 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
    17%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

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

What Wright family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3 million census records available for the last name Wright. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wright census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Wright

Passenger Lists

There are 333,000 immigration records available for the last name Wright. 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 Wright immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 515,000 military records available for the last name Wright. For the veterans among your Wright ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Wright family history

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What is the average Wright lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Wright life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Wright in 1940 was 36, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wright

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