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Smolen Family History

Smolen Surname Meaning

Polish (Smoleń): unflattering nickname for a dirty person from Polish smolić się ‘to soil make dirty’. Alternatively, an occupational name for a person who produced tar or pitch burner (Old Polish smoleń ‘distilled tar pitch’).

Perhaps also a habitational name from any of the places called Smoleń in Masovian and Silesian voivodeships.

Czech and Slovak (Slovak mostly Smoleň): nickname derived from Czech smolit (se) Slovak smoliť (sa) ‘to tar to soil make dirty’ (compare above).

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


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Where is the Smolen family from?

You can see how Smolen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Smolen family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Smolen families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Smolen family living in Lancashire. This was 100% of all the recorded Smolen's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Smolen families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Smolen 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 Smolen ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Smolen. 27% of Smolen men worked as a Laborer and 15% of Smolen women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Smolen were New Worker and Maid.

View Census Data for Smolen | 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

  • Laborer
    27%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Farmer
    6%
  • New Worker
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    15%
  • Waitress
    15%
  • Clerk
    10%
  • Maid
    8%

What Smolen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Smolen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Smolen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Smolen

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Smolen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Smolen family history

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What is the average Smolen lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Smolen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Smolen in 1952 was 35, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Smolen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Smolen 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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