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Kelsall Family History

Kelsall Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from a place in Cheshire called Kelsall from the Middle English personal name Kell + Old English halh ‘nook or corner of land’ or possibly from Kelshall in Hertfordshire which is named with an Old English personal name Cylle + Old English hyll ‘hill’.

There is also a possibility that it originates from Kelsale in Suffolk, named with an Old English personal name Cēl, Cǣl, or Cēol + Old English halh ‘nook, corner of land’.

Occasionally, it may be a variant of Kershaw.

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


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Where is the Kelsall family from?

You can see how Kelsall families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kelsall family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kelsall families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 731 Kelsall families living in Lancashire. This was about 42% of all the recorded Kelsall's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Kelsall families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kelsall 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 Kelsall 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 Kelsall. 13% of Kelsall men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Kelsall women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kelsall were Unpaid Domestic Duties and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Kelsall | 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
    13%
  • Farmer
    5%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dutie
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Kelsall family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 22,000 census records available for the last name Kelsall. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kelsall census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kelsall

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Kelsall. For the veterans among your Kelsall ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kelsall military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kelsall family history

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What is the average Kelsall lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Kelsall life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1981, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Kelsall in 1963 was 90, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kelsall

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kelsall 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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