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Basel Family History

Basel Surname Meaning

German:: habitational name from the Swiss city of Basel.

from a short form of ancient Germanic personal names formed with Old High German ber ‘bear’ (the animal)

or Old Norse bodh ‘battle’.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Basel family from?

You can see how Basel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Basel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Basel families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 12 Basel families living in London. This was about 67% of all the recorded Basel's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Basel families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Basel 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 Basel ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Basel. 23% of Basel men worked as a Laborer and 24% of Basel women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Basel were Labor and New Worker.

View Census Data for Basel | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    23%
  • Farmer
    19%
  • Salesman
    10%
  • Labor
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    24%
  • Teacher
    14%
  • Clerk
    14%
  • New Worker
    10%

What Basel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Basel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Basel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Basel

Passenger Lists

There are 843 immigration records available for the last name Basel. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Basel immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Basel military records

You've only scratched the surface of Basel family history

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What is the average Basel lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Basel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1963, and highest in 1977. The average life expectancy for Basel in 1955 was 64, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Basel

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Basel ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Basel family tree

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