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Gentile Family History

Gentile Name Meaning

Italian: from the personal name Gentile a continuation of Late Latin Gentilis from Latin gens (genitive gentis) ‘tribe family stock’ meaning ‘of the same stock’ and then ‘non-Christian pagan’; as a medieval name it was an omen or well-wishing name with the sense ‘noble courteous’ also ‘delicate charming graceful’ (Italian gentile). In some cases the surname may have arisen from a nickname sometimes possibly ironical from the same word. English: variant of Gentle . Jewish (Ashkenazic from northern Italy): nickname or metronymic from Italian gentile ‘noble delicate’ (see 1 above). See also Heifetz .

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


Similar surnames: Gentle, Gent, Bentle, Gentili, Pertile, Benzie, Gentles, Dentice

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Where is the Gentile family from?

You can see how Gentile families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gentile family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Gentile families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 16 Gentile families living in Ontario. This was about 80% of all the recorded Gentile's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Gentile families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gentile surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gentile ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Labourer and Fur Fruister were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Gentile. 72% of Gentile men worked as a Labourer and 100% of Gentile women worked as a Fur Fruister. .

View Census Data for Gentile | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Labourer
    72%
  • Railroad
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Fur Fruister
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gentile family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Gentile. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gentile census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Gentile

Passenger Lists

There are 15,000 immigration records available for the last name Gentile. 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 Gentile immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Gentile. For the veterans among your Gentile ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gentile military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gentile family history

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What is the average Gentile lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Gentile life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Gentile in 1944 was 37, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gentile

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