Gell Family History

Gell Surname Meaning

English (northern): from Middle English Gelle a pet form of the personal name Gerard. Gerard in Middle English was indistinguishable from Gerald of which Gelle was a syncopated form.

English: occasionally a variant of Gill from a pet form of the personal name Jelion or Gillian. These are Middle English versions of Julian found mainly as a female name occasionally as a male name.

Manx: variant of Gill a shortened form of Gaelic Mac Gille meaning ‘son of the lad (i.e. servant)’.

German (mainly Bavaria): nickname for someone with fair hair from Bavarian German gêl ‘yellow’ (see Gelb ).

Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): nickname for a man with red hair from Yiddish gel ‘red-headed’ (from Middle High German gel ‘yellow’).

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

Similar surnames: Bell, Gehl, Hell, Pell, Well, Nell, Ell, Gill, Fell, Gall

57K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
2K	Military Records
4K	Immigration Records
26K	Census and Voter Lists
41K	Member Trees

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Where is the Gell family from?

You can see how Gell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Gell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 253 Gell families living in Yorkshire. This was about 21% of all the recorded Gell's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Gell families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Gell

What did your Gell 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 Gell. 13% of Gell men worked as a General labourer and 72% of Gell women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gell were Incapacitated and Private means.

View Census Data for Gell

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.

General labourer

13%

Bricklayer

Farm labourer

Incapacitated

Unpaid domestic duties

72%

Housewife

Domestic servant

Private means

What Gell family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 26K census records available for the last name Gell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gell

Passenger List

There are 4K immigration records available for the last name Gell. 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 Gell immigration records

Military Records

There are 2K military records available for the last name Gell. For the veterans among your Gell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gell family history

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What is the average Gell lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Gell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Gell in 1952 was 58, and 75 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gell family tree

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Gell Surname Meaning

English (northern): from Middle English Gelle a pet form of the personal name Gerard. Gerard in Middle English was indistinguishable from Gerald of which Gelle was a syncopated form.

Manx: variant of Gill a shortened form of Gaelic Mac Gille meaning ‘son of the lad (i.e. servant)’.

German (mainly Bavaria): nickname for someone with fair hair from Bavarian German gêl ‘yellow’ (see Gelb ).

Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): nickname for a man with red hair from Yiddish gel ‘red-headed’ (from Middle High German gel ‘yellow’).

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

Where is the Gell family from?

What did your Gell ancestors do for a living?

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.

General labourer

13%

Bricklayer

Farm labourer

Incapacitated

Unpaid domestic duties

72%

Housewife

Domestic servant

Private means

What Gell family records will you find?

What is the average Gell lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Gell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Gell in 1952 was 58, and 75 in 2004.

Gell Family History

Gell Surname Meaning

132,000 record(s) for Gell

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

Where is the Gell family from?

What did your Gell ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Gell family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Gell family history

What is the average Gell lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gell family tree

Search for another surname

Gell Surname Meaning

132,000 record(s) for Gell

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

Where is the Gell family from?

What did your Gell ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Gell family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Gell family history

What is the average Gell lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gell family tree

Search for another surname