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Nissen Family History

Nissen Surname Meaning

North German and Danish: patronymic from the personal name Nis, a variant of Nils (see Nicholas). Compare Nessen and Nisson.

Dutch: shortened form of Denissen, a patronymic from the personal name Dionysius (see Dennis).

Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish male personal name Nisn, from Hebrew nisan, the Jewish month during which Passover takes place, originally given to boys born in that month.

Compare Nissan.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Nissen family from?

You can see how Nissen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Nissen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Nissen families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 14 Nissen families living in Durham. This was about 44% of all the recorded Nissen's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Nissen families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Nissen 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 Nissen ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Coal Merchant and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Nissen. 100% of Nissen men worked as a Coal Merchant and 77% of Nissen women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Nissen | 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

  • Coal Merchant
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Private Means
    15%
  • Household Duties
    10%

What Nissen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 23,000 census records available for the last name Nissen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Nissen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Nissen

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Nissen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Nissen family history

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What is the average Nissen lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Nissen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Nissen in 1948 was 44, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Nissen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Nissen 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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