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Orbell Family History

Orbell Surname Meaning

From the Middle English female personal name Orable Orabilia itself from Latin orabilis ‘easy to be entreated’.

A derivation clearly implied by 13th‐century scribes.

A formation parallel to Amabilis (see Mable).

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Orbell family from?

You can see how Orbell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Orbell family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Orbell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 76 Orbell families living in Suffolk. This was about 27% of all the recorded Orbell's in United Kingdom. Suffolk had the highest population of Orbell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Orbell 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 Orbell ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Orbell. 23% of Orbell men worked as a Farmer and 75% of Orbell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Orbell were Grocery Shop Assistant and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Orbell | 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

  • Farmer
    23%
  • General Labourer
    19%
  • Gardener
    14%
  • Grocery Shop Assistant
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%

What Orbell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Orbell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Orbell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Orbell

Passenger Lists

There are 647 immigration records available for the last name Orbell. 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 Orbell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 528 military records available for the last name Orbell. For the veterans among your Orbell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Orbell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Orbell family history

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What is the average Orbell lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2002, in the United States, Orbell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1967. The average life expectancy for Orbell in 1960 was 54, and 86 in 2002.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Orbell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Orbell 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.

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