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Gerken Family History

Gerken Name Meaning

North German: patronymic from Gerke . English (Middlesex): from a short form of a Middle English personal name such as Gerald or Gerard + the diminutive suffix kin.

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


Similar surnames: Gerten, Gerfen, Geiken, Gerren, Geron, German, Berken, Gerwin, Geen

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 Gerken family from?

You can see how Gerken families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gerken family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gerken families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 4 Gerken families living in Ontario. This was about 80% of all the recorded Gerken's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Gerken families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gerken surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gerken ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gerken. 32% of Gerken men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Gerken women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gerken were Salesman and Servant. .

View Census Data for Gerken | 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, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    32%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Farm Laborer
    7%
  • Salesman
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    12%
  • Clerk
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Servant
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gerken family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 16,000 census records available for the last name Gerken. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gerken census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Gerken

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Gerken. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gerken immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Gerken. For the veterans among your Gerken ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gerken military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gerken family history

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What is the average Gerken lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Gerken life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1961. The average life expectancy for Gerken in 1949 was 38, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gerken

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