This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Williams family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Williams Family History

Williams Surname Meaning

English: variant of William with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. This form of the surname is also common in Wales.

In North America this surname has also absorbed some cognates from other languages such as Dutch Willems.

Williams is the third most frequent surname in the US.

It is also very common among African Americans and Native Americans.

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


Similar surnames: 

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Williams family from?

You can see how Williams families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Williams family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Williams families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 2,018 Williams families living in New York. This was about 15% of all the recorded Williams's in USA. New York had the highest population of Williams families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Williams surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Williams ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Williams. 20% of Williams men worked as a Laborer and 11% of Williams women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Williams were Farm Laborer and Laborer.

View Census Data for Williams | 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
    20%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    3%
  • Farm Laborer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    11%
  • Cook
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    5%
  • Laborer
    5%

What Williams family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8 million census records available for the last name Williams. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Williams census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Williams

Passenger Lists

There are 984,000 immigration records available for the last name Williams. 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 Williams immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Williams military records

You've only scratched the surface of Williams family history

Discover More

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Williams family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial