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Schell Family History

Schell Surname Meaning

German: nickname for a loud or obstreperous person from Middle High German schel schellic ‘noisy loud; wild’.

Occupational name for someone with bells on his clothes as was the custom for jesters and entertainers or for a maker of bells.

Compare Shell.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Schell family from?

You can see how Schell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Schell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Schell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 21 Schell families living in London. This was about 49% of all the recorded Schell's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Schell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Schell 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 Schell ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Schell. 100% of Schell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Schell | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Schell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 59,000 census records available for the last name Schell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Schell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Schell

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Schell. 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 Schell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Schell. For the veterans among your Schell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Schell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Schell family history

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What is the average Schell lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Schell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Schell in 1942 was 54, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Schell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Schell 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 Schell family tree

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