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Hessen Family History

Hessen Surname Meaning

German: habitational name for someone from the territory of Hesse (German Hessen), a region (present-day federal state) in Germany named with the German dative plural form of the name of its inhabitants, the Hessians.

Compare Hess, a habitational name from a place so named near Wolfenbüttel in Lower Saxony.

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 Hessen family from?

You can see how Hessen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hessen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hessen families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 8 Hessen families living in Ontario. This was about 53% of all the recorded Hessen's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Hessen families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hessen 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 Hessen ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Hessen. 33% of Hessen men worked as a Farmer and 60% of Hessen women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hessen were Laborer and Saleslady.

View Census Data for Hessen | 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
    33%
  • Clerk
    17%
  • Tailor
    13%
  • Laborer
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    60%
  • Saleslady
    40%

What Hessen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Hessen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hessen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Hessen

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Hessen. 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 Hessen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Hessen. For the veterans among your Hessen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hessen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Hessen family history

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What is the average Hessen lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Hessen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2000, and highest in 1985. The average life expectancy for Hessen in 1956 was 83, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hessen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Hessen 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 Hessen family tree

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