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Gilen Family History

Gilen Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Giles, Glen, Gilgen, Gillen, Galen, Kilen, Given, Gilden, Gile, Wilen

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Gilen family from?

You can see how Gilen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gilen family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Gilen families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1871 there were 12 Gilen families living in Lanarkshire. This was about 75% of all the recorded Gilen's in Scotland. Lanarkshire had the highest population of Gilen families in 1871.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gilen 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 Gilen ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gilen. 30% of Gilen men worked as a Laborer and 43% of Gilen women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gilen were Salesman and Laundress.

View Census Data for Gilen | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    30%
  • Farmer
    24%
  • Attendant
    7%
  • Salesman
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    43%
  • Housekeeper
    29%
  • Laundress
    29%

What Gilen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 703 census records available for the last name Gilen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gilen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gilen

Passenger Lists

There are 196 immigration records available for the last name Gilen. 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 Gilen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 91 military records available for the last name Gilen. For the veterans among your Gilen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gilen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gilen family history

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What is the average Gilen lifespan?

Average Gilen life expectancy in 2004 was 96 years. This was higher than the general public life expectancy which was 74.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gilen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gilen 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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