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Palen Family History

Palen Name Meaning

Americanized form of Dutch Peelen . Americanized form of North German Pahlen . In part this name was brought to the US from Luxembourg. Polish (Paleń): unexplained.

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


Similar surnames: Kalen, Paley, Galen, Papen, Page, Sales, Maren, Polen, Palin, Payer

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 Palen family from?

You can see how Palen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Palen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Palen families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 17 Palen families living in New York. This was about 74% of all the recorded Palen's in USA. New York had the highest population of Palen families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Palen surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Palen ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Palen. 17% of Palen men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Palen women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Palen were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Palen | 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

  • Farmer
    17%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Truck Driver
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    12%
  • Clerk
    12%
  • Teacher
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Palen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Palen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Palen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Palen

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Palen. For the veterans among your Palen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Palen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Palen family history

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What is the average Palen lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Palen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Palen in 1947 was 40, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Palen

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Palen family tree

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