History of your Surname
Get access to Killen family records.Start a free trial

Killen Family History

Killen Name Meaning

Irish (Down and Antrim): Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Coilín ‘son of Colin’. According to MacLysaght the name was that of a gallowglass family from Scotland taken to Ireland by the O'Donnells. Irish (Down and Antrim): variant of Killeen . German: patronymic from Kill .

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


Similar surnames: Killeen, Gillen, Killin, Millen, Gallen, Billen, Hillen, Kilen

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Killen family from?

You can see how Killen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Killen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Killen families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 58 Killen families living in Ontario. This was about 56% of all the recorded Killen's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Killen families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Killen surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Killen ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Nurse were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Killen. 30% of Killen men worked as a Farmer and 60% of Killen women worked as a Nurse. Some less common occupations for Americans named Killen were Laborer and Saleslady. .

View Census Data for Killen | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    30%
  • Labourer
    19%
  • Student
    15%
  • Laborer
    15%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Nurse
    60%
  • Saleslady
    40%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Killen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 27,000 census records available for the last name Killen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Killen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Killen

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Killen. 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 Killen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Killen. For the veterans among your Killen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Killen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Killen family history

Discover More

What is the average Killen lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Killen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Killen in 1940 was 47, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Killen

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Killen family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Killen last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial