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Callan Family History

Callan Surname Meaning

Irish (Louth and Monaghan): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Cathaláin ‘descendant of Cathalán’ a personal name representing a diminutive of Cathal (see Cahill).

Irish and Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Cailein ‘son of Cailean’ or Mac Ailein see McCallion and Collin.

English: variant of Callen.

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


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Where is the Callan family from?

You can see how Callan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Callan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Callan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 234 Callan families living in Lancashire. This was about 29% of all the recorded Callan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Callan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Callan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Callan 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 Callan. 32% of Callan men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Callan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Callan were Motor Driver and Dressmaker.

View Census Data for Callan | 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
    32%
  • Builders Labourer
    12%
  • Dock Labourer
    10%
  • Motor Driver
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Dressmaker
    2%

What Callan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 44,000 census records available for the last name Callan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Callan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Callan

Passenger Lists

There are 10,000 immigration records available for the last name Callan. 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 Callan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Callan. For the veterans among your Callan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Callan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Callan family history

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What is the average Callan lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Callan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Callan in 1945 was 43, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Callan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Callan ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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