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Gessner Family History

Gessner Surname Meaning

German: variant of Gasser.

Swiss German: occupational name for a goat herd from Middle High German geiz ‘goat’ + -(n)er agent suffix.

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


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Where is the Gessner family from?

You can see how Gessner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gessner family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gessner families were found in and USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 6 Gessner families living in Essex. This was about 75% of all the recorded Gessner's in United Kingdom. Essex had the highest population of Gessner families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gessner 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 Gessner ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gessner. 16% of Gessner men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Gessner women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gessner were Manager and Seamstress.

View Census Data for Gessner | 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
    16%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Manager
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    12%
  • Housework
    9%
  • Housewife
    9%
  • Seamstress
    8%

What Gessner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Gessner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gessner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gessner

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Gessner. 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 Gessner immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Gessner. For the veterans among your Gessner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gessner military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gessner family history

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What is the average Gessner lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Gessner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Gessner in 1951 was 45, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gessner

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gessner 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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