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Can Family History

Can Surname Meaning

Turkish: ornamental name or nickname from can ‘soul life’ also ‘agreeable’ figuratively ‘beloved friend’. Vietnamese (Cấn): from the Chinese surname 靳 see Jin. Vietnamese (Cần): unexplained.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 陳 based on its Cantonese pronunciation see Chen. Amerindian (Mexico Guatemala and Belize): Mayan name from a Castilianized form of kan ‘snake’ (compare Chan).

Scottish and English: probably a shortened variant of McCann. English: variant of Cann.

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


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Where is the Can family from?

You can see how Can families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Can family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Can families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 19 Can families living in London. This was about 28% of all the recorded Can's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Can families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Can 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 Can 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 Can. 100% of Can men worked as a General Labourer and 86% of Can women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Can | 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
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    86%
  • Domestic Unpaid
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Household Duties (unpaid)
    3%

What Can family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 26,000 census records available for the last name Can. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Can census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Can

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Can. 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 Can immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 67,000 military records available for the last name Can. For the veterans among your Can ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Can military records

You've only scratched the surface of Can family history

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What is the average Can lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2003, in the United States, Can life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2002, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Can in 1966 was 73, and 75 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Can

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Can 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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