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San Family History

San Surname Meaning

Burmese: from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name from san ‘moon’ also ‘good luck’ or from a homonym meaning ‘spring (of water)’. See also 2 below. Burmese: from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name from hsan ‘to be extraordinary’. — Note: Since Burmese do not have hereditary surnames these names (see also 1 above) were registered as such only after immigration of their bearers to the US.

Cambodian: written សាន្ត from a Khmer word meaning ‘(to be) calm comfortable’ of Sanskrit origin. Cambodian: written សាន or សាន់ unexplained.

Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 申 and 慎 see Shen 2 and Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 辛 see Xin 7: Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 山 see Shan 8: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 冼 and 洗 see Xian 9: Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 盛 see Sheng.

Turkish: ornamental name or nickname from san ‘fame reputation’ or from a regional homonym meaning ‘wish’.

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


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Where is the San family from?

You can see how San families moved over time by selecting different census years. The San family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most San families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 15 San families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded San's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of San families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the San 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 San ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named San. 60% of San women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for San | 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
    60%
  • Private Means
    20%
  • Domestic Servant
    20%

What San family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 164,000 census records available for the last name San. Like a window into their day-to-day life, San census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for San

Passenger Lists

There are 29,000 immigration records available for the last name San. 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 94,000 military records available for the last name San. For the veterans among your San ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average San lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, San life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1984, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for San in 1964 was 83, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for San

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your San 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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