Origins of the West surname

What does the name West mean?

West is an English surname with relatively humble origins. It is belived to be a descriptive name, from the Old English word 'West' (which we still use in the same way, as a direction). It would have been given to someone who came from a western area who settled or moved further east, and their descendants. In testament to that usage, it is more prevalent in the eastern counties of England.

Alternative variations of the name West

West, Waist, Weste, Wast, Wist

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Delve deeper into the West family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 933North West 463Isle of Man 6Yorkshire 2384East Midlands 1092West Midlands 1284East 1878London 7308South East 3988South West 916South Wales 520Mid Wales 57West Wales 12North Wales 53Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Wests lived in london

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

48,000 West Travel & migration records
300,000 Wests found in all Census records

Interesting facts about West

How common is your surname?

108th most common surname in the UK

We have for the West surname. The oldest one dates back to 1086.

Who were Wests most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Wests.

What are the most common West first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of West family members
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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Wests

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

Common female occupations for Wests in 1921

Dressmaker

1,340

Laundress

993

Domestic Servant

747

General Servant Domestic

744

Living On Own Means

622

Common male occupations for Wests in 1921

Agricultural Labourer

1,608

General Labourer

1,263

Carpenter

982

Farm Labourer

934

Fisherman

875

We found over 490,000 family trees with the West surname

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