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Carnell Family History

Carnell Surname Meaning

English: in most cases probably a variant of Cornell or Cornall the latter either a variant of Corney in Lancashire dialect or if found in Devon a variant of Cornwall.

English (of Norman origin): apparently a metonymic occupational name for a crossbowman who specialized in fighting from the battlements of castles from Anglo-Norman French carnel ‘battlement embrasure’ (a metathesized form of crenel Late Latin crenellus a diminutive of crena ‘notch’).

English: shortened form of Carbonell or Cardinal.

Swedish: ornamental name from an unexplained first element + the suffix -ell a derivative of the Latin adjectival ending -elius.

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


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Where is the Carnell family from?

You can see how Carnell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Carnell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Carnell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 195 Carnell families living in Devon. This was about 17% of all the recorded Carnell's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Carnell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Carnell 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 Carnell 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 Carnell. 16% of Carnell men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Carnell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Carnell were Retired and Housewife.

View Census Data for Carnell | 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
    16%
  • Builders Labourer
    9%
  • Postman
    8%
  • Retired
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%

What Carnell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 36,000 census records available for the last name Carnell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Carnell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Carnell

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Carnell. For the veterans among your Carnell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Carnell military records

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