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Gentle Family History

Gentle Name Meaning

English (southern): nickname from Middle English Old French gentil ‘high born noble’ (from Latin gentilis from gens ‘family tribe’ itself from the root gen- ‘to be born’).

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


Similar surnames: Gentile, Gent, Gentry, Ventre, Nettle, Kettle, Kendle, Gentles

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 Gentle family from?

You can see how Gentle families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gentle family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gentle families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 190 Gentle families living in Bedfordshire. This was about 23% of all the recorded Gentle's in United Kingdom. Bedfordshire had the highest population of Gentle families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gentle 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 Gentle ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Gentle. 17% of Gentle men worked as a General Labourer and 81% of Gentle women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gentle were Carpenter and Private Means. .

View Census Data for Gentle | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    17%
  • Bricklayer
    9%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Carpenter
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    81%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gentle family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 31,000 census records available for the last name Gentle. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gentle census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Gentle

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Gentle. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gentle immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Gentle. For the veterans among your Gentle ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gentle military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gentle family history

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What is the average Gentle lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Gentle life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Gentle in 1945 was 22, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gentle

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