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Gersten Family History

Gersten Surname Meaning

German: habitational name from a place near Lingen in East Frisia named Gersten.

German: variant of Gerst.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name or metonymic occupational name from German Gersten ‘barley’.

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


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Where is the Gersten family from?

You can see how Gersten families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gersten family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Gersten families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 2 Gersten families living in London. This was about 40% of all the recorded Gersten's in United Kingdom. London and 1 other county had the highest population of Gersten families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gersten 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 Gersten ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Salesman and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gersten. 18% of Gersten men worked as a Salesman and 18% of Gersten women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gersten were Proprietor and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Gersten | 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

  • Salesman
    18%
  • Manager
    10%
  • Shipping Clerk
    9%
  • Proprietor
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    18%
  • Secretary
    14%
  • Teacher
    14%
  • Stenographer
    11%

What Gersten family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Gersten. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gersten census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gersten

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Gersten. 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 Gersten immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 562 military records available for the last name Gersten. For the veterans among your Gersten ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gersten military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gersten family history

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What is the average Gersten lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Gersten life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1976, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Gersten in 1960 was 56, and 87 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gersten

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gersten 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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