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Hamel Family History

Hamel Surname Meaning

English, Scottish, and Irish (Louth): variant of Hamill. French: topographic name for someone who lived and worked at an outlying farm dependent on the main village, Old French hamel (a diminutive from an ancient Germanic element cognate with Old English hām ‘homestead’); or a habitational name from (Le) Hamel, the name of several places in the northern part of France named with this word.

Compare Duhamel and also Amell. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name from the city of Hamlin, German Hameln, Yiddish Haml, where the Hamel river empties into the Weser.

The name of the river probably derives from the ancient Germanic element ham ‘water meadow’. Dutch: metonymic occupational name for a shepherd from Middle Dutch hamel ‘wether, castrated ram’.

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


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Where is the Hamel family from?

You can see how Hamel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hamel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hamel families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1891 there were 26 Hamel families living in Lancashire. This was about 25% of all the recorded Hamel's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Hamel families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hamel 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 Hamel ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Wine Merchants Clerk and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Hamel. 100% of Hamel men worked as a Wine Merchants Clerk and 73% of Hamel women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Hamel | 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

  • Wine Merchants Clerk
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Dancing Teacher A I S T D
    7%
  • Retired Housekeeper
    7%
  • Domestic Duties
    7%

What Hamel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 89,000 census records available for the last name Hamel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hamel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Hamel

Passenger Lists

There are 10,000 immigration records available for the last name Hamel. 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 Hamel immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Hamel. For the veterans among your Hamel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hamel military records

You've only scratched the surface of Hamel family history

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What is the average Hamel lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Hamel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Hamel in 1941 was 35, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hamel

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Hamel 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Hamel family tree

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