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Barnwell Family History

Barnwell Surname Meaning

English (Warwickshire): habitational name from a place so called in Cambridgeshire and another in Northamptonshire both named with Old English beorn ‘warrior’ (genitive plural beorna) or the Old English personal name Beorna + well(a) ‘stream’.

Irish (Dublin Meath): of English origin (the same as 1 above). Sir Michael de Berneval or de Barneval took part in Strongbow's expedition to Ireland in 117. He first held land in Berehavan Cork before the main landing in Leinster.

The English surname was Gaelicized as de Bearnabhal.

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


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Where is the Barnwell family from?

You can see how Barnwell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Barnwell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Barnwell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 208 Barnwell families living in Warwickshire. This was about 29% of all the recorded Barnwell's in United Kingdom. Warwickshire had the highest population of Barnwell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Barnwell 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 Barnwell 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 Barnwell. 20% of Barnwell men worked as a Farmer and 75% of Barnwell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Barnwell were Motor Driver and Tailoress.

View Census Data for Barnwell | 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
    20%
  • General Labourer
    20%
  • Civil Servant
    12%
  • Motor Driver
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Tailoress
    2%

What Barnwell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 32,000 census records available for the last name Barnwell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Barnwell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Barnwell

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Barnwell. 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 Barnwell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Barnwell. For the veterans among your Barnwell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Barnwell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Barnwell family history

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What is the average Barnwell lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Barnwell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Barnwell in 1944 was 28, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Barnwell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Barnwell 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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