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Killen Family History

Killen Surname Meaning

Irish (Down and Antrim): Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Coilín ‘son of Colin’. According to MacLysaght the name was that of a gallowglass family from Scotland taken to Ireland by the O'Donnells.

Irish (Down and Antrim): variant of Killeen.

German: patronymic from Kill.

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


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Where is the Killen family from?

You can see how Killen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Killen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Killen families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 139 Killen families living in Lancashire. This was about 38% of all the recorded Killen's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Killen families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Killen 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 Killen 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 Killen. 30% of Killen men worked as a General Labourer and 74% of Killen women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Killen were Retired and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Killen | 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
    30%
  • Builders Labourer
    15%
  • Dairy Farmer
    15%
  • Retired
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    12%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    4%
  • Housekeeper
    3%

What Killen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 27,000 census records available for the last name Killen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Killen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Killen

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Killen. 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 Killen immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Killen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Killen family history

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What is the average Killen lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Killen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Killen in 1940 was 47, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Killen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Killen 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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