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Gretchen Family History

Gretchen Name 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: Grether, Graichen, Ketchen, Green, Letcher, Gleicher, Hitchen, Eichen

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Gretchen family from?

You can see how Gretchen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gretchen family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Gretchen families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 18 Gretchen families living in Iowa. This was about 51% of all the recorded Gretchen's in USA. Iowa had the highest population of Gretchen families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gretchen 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 Gretchen ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gretchen. 50% of Gretchen men worked as a Laborer and 25% of Gretchen women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gretchen were Day Laborer and Machine Operator. .

View Census Data for Gretchen | 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 1940

  • Laborer
    50%
  • Draftsman
    25%
  • Day Laborer
    25%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    25%
  • Maid
    25%
  • Cook
    25%
  • Machine Operator
    25%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gretchen family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search US census records for Gretchen

Passenger Lists

There are 181 immigration records available for the last name Gretchen. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gretchen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 50 military records available for the last name Gretchen. For the veterans among your Gretchen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gretchen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gretchen family history

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What is the average Gretchen lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2004, in the United States, Gretchen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1984, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Gretchen in 1966 was 48, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gretchen

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