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Jennings Family History

Jennings Name Meaning

English: variant of Jenning with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. German: patronymic from a pet form (see Jenning ) of the personal name Johannes (see John ).

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


Similar surnames: Jenning, Penning, Denning, Kenning, Henning, Jenniges, Janning

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Jennings family from?

You can see how Jennings families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Jennings family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Jennings families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 238 Jennings families living in New York. This was about 20% of all the recorded Jennings's in USA. New York had the highest population of Jennings families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Jennings surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Jennings ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Jennings. 16% of Jennings men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Jennings women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Jennings were Truck Driver and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Jennings | 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
    16%
  • Farmer
    16%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Maid
    7%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Housewife
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Jennings family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 687,000 census records available for the last name Jennings. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Jennings census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Jennings

Passenger Lists

There are 62,000 immigration records available for the last name Jennings. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 98,000 military records available for the last name Jennings. For the veterans among your Jennings ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Jennings lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Jennings life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Jennings in 1940 was 54, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Jennings

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