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Zan Family History

Zan Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 昝: (i) a surname originating in ancient southwestern China. (ii) adopted as a surname by the Zan Lu (昝盧) or Chi Lu (叱盧) families from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (iii) said to be adopted in place of the surname Jiu (咎 meaning ‘disaster’ in Chinese) possibly because the meaning of the original surname Jiu was thought to be inauspicious.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 曾 see Zeng.

Italian (Veneto): from the personal name Zan an old dialect equivalent of John (compare the Slovenian name below). See also Zanni.

Slovenian (Žan): from a Slovenized form of the Friulian personal name Zan an old equivalent of John (compare Italian name above).

Slovak (Záň also Zán) and Czech (Záň): possibly of Italian origin (see above).

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


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Where is the Zan family from?

You can see how Zan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Zan family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Zan families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 2 Zan families living in London. This was 100% of all the recorded Zan's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Zan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Zan 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 Zan ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Zan. 72% of Zan men worked as a Laborer and 43% of Zan women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Zan were Farmer and Laundress.

View Census Data for Zan | 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
    72%
  • Mac Worker
    15%
  • Farmer
    15%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    43%
  • Waitress
    29%
  • Laundress
    29%

What Zan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Zan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Zan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Zan

Passenger Lists

There are 829 immigration records available for the last name Zan. 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 Zan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 724 military records available for the last name Zan. For the veterans among your Zan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Zan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Zan family history

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What is the average Zan lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Zan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1994, and highest in 1980. The average life expectancy for Zan in 1964 was 86, and 87 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Zan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Zan 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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