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.
West, Waist, Weste, Wast, Wist
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Sign up to get startedMen 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
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