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Polen Family History

Polen Surname Meaning

German and Dutch (Van Polen): ethnic name for a Pole or nickname for someone with some other connection with Poland from Polen ‘Poland’.

Possibly also Irish: variant of Polin.

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 Polen family from?

You can see how Polen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Polen family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Polen families were found in USA in 1880. In 1861 there was 1 Polen family living in Angus. This was 100% of all the recorded Polen's in Scotland. Angus had the highest population of Polen families in 1861.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Polen surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1861
  • 1871
  • 1891
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What did your Polen ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Polen. 22% of Polen men worked as a Farmer and 15% of Polen women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Polen were Truck Driver and Clerk.

View Census Data for Polen | 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
    22%
  • Laborer
    20%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Truck Driver
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    15%
  • Saleslady
    11%
  • Secretary
    11%
  • Clerk
    9%

What Polen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Polen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Polen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Polen

Passenger Lists

There are 637 immigration records available for the last name Polen. 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 Polen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Polen. For the veterans among your Polen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Polen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Polen family history

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What is the average Polen lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Polen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1968. The average life expectancy for Polen in 1945 was 26, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Polen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Polen 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 Polen family tree

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