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Gilsenan Family History

Gilsenan Surname Meaning

Irish (Meath): shortened form of MacGils(h)enan an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Giolla Seanáin ‘son of the servant or devotee of Saint Senan’. Gilsenan has sometimes been Anglicized as Gilson and a northern Irish variant Mag Uinseanáin formerly Anglicized as McGunshenan has now been replaced by Nugent.

Leonard has also sometimes been adopted as equivalent.

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


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Where is the Gilsenan family from?

You can see how Gilsenan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gilsenan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most Gilsenan families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 11 Gilsenan families living in Suffolk. This was about 55% of all the recorded Gilsenan's in United Kingdom. Suffolk had the highest population of Gilsenan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gilsenan 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 Gilsenan 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 Gilsenan. 34% of Gilsenan men worked as a General Labourer and 100% of Gilsenan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Gilsenan | 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
    34%
  • Public Contractors Labourer
    34%
  • Builders Labourer
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Gilsenan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Gilsenan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gilsenan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gilsenan

Passenger Lists

There are 679 immigration records available for the last name Gilsenan. 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 Gilsenan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 341 military records available for the last name Gilsenan. For the veterans among your Gilsenan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gilsenan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gilsenan family history

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What is the average Gilsenan lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Gilsenan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1996, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Gilsenan in 1953 was 78, and 89 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gilsenan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gilsenan 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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