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Bortel Family History

Bortel Surname Meaning

North German: habitational name from Bordal near Hanover-Münden or a wooded area of the same name near Göttingen (both in Lower Saxony).

North German: metonymic occupational name for a tailor derived from Middle Low German borde ‘trimming hem belt’.

Flemish (Van Bortel): probably a topographic name from bork(t) ‘birch(es)’ + lo ‘(open space in a) wood’.

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


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Where is the Bortel family from?

You can see how Bortel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bortel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bortel families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there was 1 Bortel family living in London. This was 100% of all the recorded Bortel's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Bortel families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bortel 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 Bortel ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Bortel. 36% of Bortel men worked as a Farmer and 45% of Bortel women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bortel were Truck Driver and Clerk.

View Census Data for Bortel | 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

  • Farmer
    36%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Salesman
    11%
  • Truck Driver
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    45%
  • Farm Laborer
    17%
  • Teacher
    17%
  • Clerk
    12%

What Bortel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Bortel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bortel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bortel

Passenger Lists

There are 233 immigration records available for the last name Bortel. 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 Bortel immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 348 military records available for the last name Bortel. For the veterans among your Bortel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bortel military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bortel family history

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What is the average Bortel lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Bortel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Bortel in 1959 was 40, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bortel

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bortel 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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