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Campbells Family History

Campbells Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Campbell, Cambell, Capelle, Carabello, Capella, Campanella, Capell

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Campbells family from?

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

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Campbells. 38% of Campbells men worked as a Laborer and 20% of Campbells women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Campbells were Teacher and School Teacher.

View Census Data for Campbells | 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
    38%
  • Salesman
    19%
  • Farmer
    16%
  • Teacher
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    20%
  • Housework
    15%
  • Teacher
    15%
  • School Teacher
    10%

What Campbells family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 921 census records available for the last name Campbells. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Campbells census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Campbells

Passenger Lists

There are 159 immigration records available for the last name Campbells. 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 Campbells immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 402 military records available for the last name Campbells. For the veterans among your Campbells ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Campbells military records

You've only scratched the surface of Campbells family history

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What is the average Campbells lifespan?

Average Campbells life expectancy in 1968 was 41 years. This was lower than the general public life expectancy which was 71.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Campbells

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Campbells 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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