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Scanlen Family History

Scanlen Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Scanlon, Scanlan, Scanlin, Stanley, Scales, Scadden, Sanden, Standen

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Scanlen family from?

You can see how Scanlen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Scanlen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Scanlen families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 7 Scanlen families living in Ontario. This was about 70% of all the recorded Scanlen's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Scanlen families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Scanlen 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 Scanlen ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Clerk and School Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Scanlen. 28% of Scanlen men worked as a Clerk and 34% of Scanlen women worked as a School Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Scanlen were New Worker and Housework.

View Census Data for Scanlen | 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

  • Clerk
    28%
  • Salesman
    19%
  • Mechanic
    19%
  • New Worker
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • School Teacher
    34%
  • Stenographer
    23%
  • Bookkeeper
    23%
  • Housework
    23%

What Scanlen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Scanlen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Scanlen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Scanlen

Passenger Lists

There are 378 immigration records available for the last name Scanlen. 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 Scanlen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 123 military records available for the last name Scanlen. For the veterans among your Scanlen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Scanlen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Scanlen family history

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What is the average Scanlen lifespan?

Average Scanlen life expectancy in 1991 was 72 years. This was lower than the general public life expectancy which was 74.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Scanlen

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

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