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Gurganus Family History

Gurganus Surname Meaning

Altered form of Gurgany an Anglicized form of the Welsh personal name Gwrgenau composed of the elements gwr ‘man warrior’ + cenau ‘whelp young dog’ a term used in Welsh heroic poetry for a warrior who was ferocious in attack.

Compare Gainous Ganus and Gurganious.

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


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Where is the Gurganus family from?

You can see how Gurganus families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gurganus family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Gurganus families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 21 Gurganus families living in North Carolina. This was about 91% of all the recorded Gurganus's in USA. North Carolina had the highest population of Gurganus families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gurganus surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Gurganus ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Laborer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gurganus. 33% of Gurganus men worked as a Farmer and 22% of Gurganus women worked as a Laborer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gurganus were Farming and Teacher.

View Census Data for Gurganus | 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
    33%
  • Laborer
    20%
  • Truck Driver
    6%
  • Farming
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    22%
  • Housewife
    10%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Teacher
    8%

What Gurganus family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Gurganus. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gurganus census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gurganus

Passenger Lists

There are 226 immigration records available for the last name Gurganus. 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 Gurganus immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Gurganus. For the veterans among your Gurganus ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gurganus military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gurganus family history

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What is the average Gurganus lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Gurganus life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Gurganus in 1941 was 35, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gurganus

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gurganus 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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