History of your Surname
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Gen Family History

Gen Name Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Wen, Ben, Gan, Gee, Ge, Ken, Geng, Glen, Ren, Gren

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Gen family from?

You can see how Gen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gen families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there was 1 Gen family living in Lancashire. This was about 25% of all the recorded Gen's in United Kingdom. Lancashire and 3 other counties had the highest population of Gen families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gen 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 Gen ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Cook were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gen. 39% of Gen men worked as a Laborer and 28% of Gen women worked as a Cook. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gen were Waiter and Waitress. .

View Census Data for Gen | 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
    39%
  • Operator
    17%
  • Clerk
    12%
  • Waiter
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Cook
    28%
  • Seamstress
    19%
  • Maid
    19%
  • Waitress
    19%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 40,000 census records available for the last name Gen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gen

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 191,000 military records available for the last name Gen. For the veterans among your Gen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gen family history

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What is the average Gen lifespan?

Between 1966 and 1998, in the United States, Gen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1991, and highest in 1977. The average life expectancy for Gen in 1966 was 73, and 85 in 1998.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gen

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gen family tree

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