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Scanlan Family History

Scanlan Surname Meaning

Irish: variant of Scanlon. The surname occasionally occurs with the patronymic prefix Mac.

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


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Where is the Scanlan family from?

You can see how Scanlan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Scanlan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Scanlan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 172 Scanlan families living in Lancashire. This was about 27% of all the recorded Scanlan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Scanlan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Scanlan 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 Scanlan 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 Scanlan. 22% of Scanlan men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Scanlan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Scanlan were Builders Labourer Heavy Worker and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Scanlan | 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
    22%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    9%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer Heavy Worker
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%

What Scanlan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 61,000 census records available for the last name Scanlan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Scanlan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Scanlan

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Scanlan. 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 Scanlan immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Scanlan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Scanlan family history

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What is the average Scanlan lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Scanlan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Scanlan in 1943 was 37, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Scanlan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Scanlan 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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