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Lens Family History

Lens Surname Meaning

Flemish and Dutch: from a short form of the personal name Laurens (see Lawrence).

Galician: habitational name from a place called Lens in Ames (A Coruña).

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 Lens family from?

You can see how Lens families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Lens family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Lens families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 19 Lens families living in Ontario. This was about 73% of all the recorded Lens's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Lens families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Lens 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 Lens ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Lens. 27% of Lens men worked as a Farmer and 24% of Lens women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Lens were Clerk and Nurse.

View Census Data for Lens | 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
    27%
  • Laborer
    20%
  • Waiter
    8%
  • Clerk
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    24%
  • Bookkeeper
    16%
  • Clerk
    16%
  • Nurse
    16%

What Lens family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Lens. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Lens census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Lens

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Lens military records

You've only scratched the surface of Lens family history

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What is the average Lens lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Lens life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1973, and highest in 1970. The average life expectancy for Lens in 1961 was 48, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Lens

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Lens 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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