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Gehlen Family History

Gehlen Surname Meaning

German:: genitivized patronymic from Gehl. This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine).

In the northwest a topographic name denoting wet low-lying ground.

From an old vernacular short form of either of the female personal names Christina (see Cristina) or Gertrud (see Trude).

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


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Where is the Gehlen family from?

You can see how Gehlen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gehlen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Gehlen families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 4 Gehlen families living in London. This was 100% of all the recorded Gehlen's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Gehlen families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gehlen 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 Gehlen ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gehlen. 27% of Gehlen men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Gehlen women worked as a Clerk.

View Census Data for Gehlen | 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

  • Farmer
    27%
  • Laborer
    18%
  • Clerk
    14%
  • Salesman
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    100%

What Gehlen family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Gehlen

Passenger Lists

There are 252 immigration records available for the last name Gehlen. 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 Gehlen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 654 military records available for the last name Gehlen. For the veterans among your Gehlen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gehlen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gehlen family history

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What is the average Gehlen lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Gehlen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1980, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Gehlen in 1962 was 61, and 51 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gehlen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gehlen 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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