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Walker Family History

Walker Surname Meaning

English (mainly North and Midlands) and Scottish: occupational name for a fuller from Middle English walker Old English wealcere (an agent derivative of wealcan ‘to walk tread’) ‘one who trampled cloth in a bath of lye or kneaded it in order to strengthen it’. This was the regular term for the occupation during the Middle Ages in western and northern England. Compare Fuller and Tucker . As a Scottish surname it has also been used as a translation of Gaelic Mac an Fhucadair ‘son of the fuller’. This surname is also very common among African Americans.

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


Similar surnames: Waller, Walke, Walmer, Wicker, Acker, Galler, Hawker, Walter, Walzer

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Walker family from?

You can see how Walker families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Walker family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Walker families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 587 Walker families living in New York. This was about 10% of all the recorded Walker's in USA. New York had the highest population of Walker families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Walker 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 Walker ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Walker. 17% of Walker men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Walker women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Walker were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Walker | 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
    16%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    9%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Housewife
    5%
  • Housekeeper
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Walker family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search US census records for Walker

Passenger Lists

There are 467,000 immigration records available for the last name Walker. 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 Walker immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 540,000 military records available for the last name Walker. For the veterans among your Walker 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 Walker family history

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What is the average Walker lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Walker life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Walker in 1940 was 42, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Walker

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