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Kissel Family History

Kissel Surname Meaning

German: from a pet form of the ancient Germanic personal name Gisulf composed of the elements gis (from gīsil ‘pledge hostage noble offspring’; see Giesel) + wolf wulf ‘wolf’.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish personal name Kisl a pet form of the Biblical name Yekuthiel (compare Kusel).

Cornish: variant of Kissell.

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


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Where is the Kissel family from?

You can see how Kissel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kissel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kissel families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 3 Kissel families living in Cornwall. This was about 50% of all the recorded Kissel's in United Kingdom. Cornwall had the highest population of Kissel families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kissel 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 Kissel ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Kissel. 19% of Kissel men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Kissel women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kissel were Clerk and Teacher.

View Census Data for Kissel | 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
    19%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    9%
  • Clerk
    9%
  • Seamstress
    7%
  • Teacher
    6%

What Kissel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 14,000 census records available for the last name Kissel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kissel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kissel

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Kissel. 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 Kissel immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Kissel military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kissel family history

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What is the average Kissel lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Kissel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Kissel in 1943 was 46, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kissel

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kissel 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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