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Gens Family History

Gens Surname Meaning

German: variant of Jens.

Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): artificial name from Polish gęś ‘goose’.

Galician: habitational name from a place called Os Xens in A Coruña province Galicia (Spain).

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Gens family from?

You can see how Gens families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gens family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gens families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 14 Gens families living in Ontario. This was about 44% of all the recorded Gens's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Gens families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gens 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 Gens ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gens. 40% of Gens men worked as a Farmer and 29% of Gens women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gens were Manager and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Gens | 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
    40%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Manager
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    29%
  • Teacher
    15%
  • Bookkeeper
    11%
  • Stenographer
    11%

What Gens family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Gens. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gens census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Gens

Passenger Lists

There are 973 immigration records available for the last name Gens. 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 Gens immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Gens military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gens family history

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What is the average Gens lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Gens life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2002, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Gens in 1948 was 39, and 36 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gens

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gens 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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