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Karlen Family History

Karlen Surname Meaning

German and Swiss German: derivative of Karl.

Swedish (Karlén): from the personal name Karl or a habitational name from any of various places called with this personal name; the adjectival suffix -én is a derivative of Latin -enius ‘relating to’.

Compare Carlen.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Karlen family from?

You can see how Karlen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Karlen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Karlen families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Karlen family living in Lancashire. This was about 50% of all the recorded Karlen's in United Kingdom. Lancashire and 1 other county had the highest population of Karlen families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Karlen 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 Karlen ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Karlen. 31% of Karlen men worked as a Farmer and 27% of Karlen women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Karlen were Manager and Bookkeeper.

View Census Data for Karlen | 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
    31%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Manager
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    27%
  • Housewife
    14%
  • Teacher
    14%
  • Bookkeeper
    14%

What Karlen family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Karlen

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 602 military records available for the last name Karlen. For the veterans among your Karlen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Karlen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Karlen family history

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What is the average Karlen lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Karlen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1972, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Karlen in 1962 was 80, and 87 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Karlen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Karlen 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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