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Kan Family History

Kan Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 闞 meaning ‘overlook’ in ancient Chinese: habitational name from the placename Kan (阚) the name of a fief (located in present-day Wenshang in Shandong province) granted to Zhi an official in the state of Qi (located mainly in present-day Shandong province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 簡 see Jian.

Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 甘 and 干 see Gan 1 and Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 靳 see Jin.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 鄞 see Yin 6. Cambodian: written កាន់ from a Khmer word meaning ‘to hold something’.

Turkish: ornamental name from kan ‘descent family’. Czech (Káň): from kanit meaning ‘to slobber or slaver’ and by extension ‘to gossip’ hence a nickname for a gossip.

Czech: variant of Káňa (see Kana) a nickname meaning ‘buzzard’. North German: variant of Kahn. This surname is very rare in Germany. Dutch: from Middle Dutch kan(ne) can(ne) ‘tankard flagon pitcher’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of such vessels: potter or a pewterer. In some cases possibly also an American shortened form of Dutch Van Kan: habitational name for someone from Kanne in Belgian Limburg. Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Cohen.

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


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Where is the Kan family from?

You can see how Kan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kan families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 12 Kan families living in Lancashire. This was about 43% of all the recorded Kan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Kan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kan 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 Kan ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Kan. 100% of Kan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Kan | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Kan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Kan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Kan. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 22,000 military records available for the last name Kan. For the veterans among your Kan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Kan lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Kan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1966, and highest in 1980. The average life expectancy for Kan in 1963 was 81, and 63 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kan 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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