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Franken Family History

Franken Surname Meaning

Dutch: patronymic from Frank. German: patronymic from Franke.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Frank.

In some cases it may be a shortened form of the various Jewish artificial compound names beginning with German Franken ‘Franconian’.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Franken family from?

You can see how Franken families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Franken family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Franken families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 8 Franken families living in Alberta. This was about 57% of all the recorded Franken's in Canada. Alberta had the highest population of Franken families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Franken 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 Franken ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Franken. 23% of Franken men worked as a Farmer and 14% of Franken women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Franken were Farming and Farmer.

View Census Data for Franken | 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
    23%
  • Salesman
    11%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Farming
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    14%
  • Maid
    12%
  • Teacher
    10%
  • Farmer
    10%

What Franken family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Franken. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Franken census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Franken

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Franken. 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 Franken immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Franken. For the veterans among your Franken ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Franken military records

You've only scratched the surface of Franken family history

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What is the average Franken lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Franken life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Franken in 1954 was 29, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Franken

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Franken 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Franken family tree

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