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Palen Family History

Palen Surname Meaning

Americanized form of Dutch Peelen.

Americanized form of North German Pahlen.

In part this name was brought to the US from Luxembourg.

Polish (Paleń): unexplained.

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 Palen family from?

You can see how Palen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Palen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Palen families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 11 Palen families living in Kent. This was about 24% of all the recorded Palen's in United Kingdom. Kent had the highest population of Palen families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Palen 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 Palen ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Palen. 100% of Palen women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Palen | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Palen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Palen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Palen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Palen

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Palen. For the veterans among your Palen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Palen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Palen family history

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What is the average Palen lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Palen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Palen in 1947 was 40, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Palen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Palen 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Palen family tree

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