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Picken Family History

Picken Surname Meaning

English and Scottish (of Norman origin): either a nickname from Old French picon ‘woodpecker’ or a patronymic from the Old French personal name Picon apparently a transferred use of Old French picon ‘point pointed object’ as a nickname.

Compare Pickett and Pike. The Scottish surname (first recorded in 1615 in Edinburgh) was taken to Ireland where in 1796 it is recorded as Picken in Antrim and Pickens in Cavan.

See Pickens. German: probably a variant of Pick 1 or

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Picken family from?

You can see how Picken families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Picken family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Picken families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 289 Picken families living in Staffordshire. This was about 27% of all the recorded Picken's in United Kingdom. Staffordshire had the highest population of Picken families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Picken 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 Picken 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 Picken. 18% of Picken men worked as a General Labourer and 75% of Picken women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Picken were Aircraft Fitter and Unpaid Domestic Duti.

View Census Data for Picken | 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
    18%
  • Bricklayer
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    8%
  • Aircraft Fitter
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    2%

What Picken family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 24,000 census records available for the last name Picken. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Picken census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Picken

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Picken. 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 Picken immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Picken military records

You've only scratched the surface of Picken family history

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What is the average Picken lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Picken life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Picken in 1955 was 50, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Picken

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Picken 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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