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Burnell Family History

Burnell Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): from the Anglo-Norman French personal name Burnel a metathesized form of Old French Brunel.

Originally a nickname for someone with brown hair or complexion.

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 Burnell family from?

You can see how Burnell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Burnell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Burnell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 402 Burnell families living in Yorkshire. This was about 19% of all the recorded Burnell's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Burnell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Burnell 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 Burnell 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 Burnell. 6% of Burnell men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Burnell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Burnell were Farm Labourer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Burnell | 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
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Farm Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Burnell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 63,000 census records available for the last name Burnell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Burnell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Burnell

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Burnell. 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 Burnell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Burnell. For the veterans among your Burnell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Burnell military records

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