History of your Surname
Get access to Gess family records.Start a free trial

Gess Family History

Gess Name Meaning

German: probably from a variant of the ancient Germanic personal name Gero a short form of the various personal names formed with gār gēr ‘spear lance’.

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


Similar surnames: Goss, Geis, Ress, Hess, Bess, Ness, Gress, Wess, Weiss, Guess

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Gess family from?

You can see how Gess families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gess family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gess families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 43 Gess families living in London. This was about 42% of all the recorded Gess's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Gess families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gess surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gess ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Gess. 100% of Gess men worked as a General Labourer and 88% of Gess women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Gess | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    88%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Machine Operator Spark Plug Wks
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gess family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 7,000 census records available for the last name Gess. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gess census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gess

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Gess. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gess immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Gess. For the veterans among your Gess ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gess military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gess family history

Discover More

What is the average Gess lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Gess life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1992, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Gess in 1963 was 60, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gess

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gess family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Gess last name

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