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Susan Family History

Susan Surname Meaning

English (London) and Dutch: from the female personal name Susanna Susanne from Hebrew Shushannah ‘lily lily of the valley’. Jewish (Sephardic): from the male personal name Susan from Arabic and Persian susan ‘lily’ ultimately from Hebrew Shushannah (see 1 above).

Americanized form of Croatian Šušanj or Sušanj: nickname from sušanj šušanj ‘dry leaves and brushwood used as igniter’. Slovak (Šušán): unexplained.

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


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Where is the Susan family from?

You can see how Susan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Susan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Susan families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 73 Susan families living in London. This was about 36% of all the recorded Susan's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Susan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Susan 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 Susan ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Engineers Ast H W and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Susan. 50% of Susan men worked as an Engineers Ast H W and 70% of Susan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Susan were General Labourer and Household Duties (unpaid).

View Census Data for Susan | 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

  • Engineers Ast H W
    50%
  • General Labourer
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Home Duties
    9%
  • School Teacher
    6%
  • Household Duties (unpaid)
    6%

What Susan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Susan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Susan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Susan

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Susan. 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 Susan immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Susan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Susan family history

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What is the average Susan lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Susan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1988, and highest in 1971. The average life expectancy for Susan in 1963 was 70, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Susan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Susan 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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