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Vessell Family History

Vessell Surname Meaning

English: occupational name for an officer in charge ‘of the vessel’ in a great household from Anglo-Norman French vesselle wessel meaning ‘vat (wine) cask’ ‘cup goblet’ ‘plate precious metal’ and ‘tableware kitchenware’. He may have been the butler or cup-bearer (compare Butler) or the household steward (compare Spence and Spencer).

Americanized form of Slovenian and Slovak Vesel and perhaps also of Czech and Slovak Veselý (see Vesely).

Compare Vessel and Wessell.

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


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Where is the Vessell family from?

You can see how Vessell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Vessell family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1840 and 1920. The most Vessell families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 9 Vessell families living in London. This was about 75% of all the recorded Vessell's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Vessell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Vessell 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 Vessell ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Vessell. 72% of Vessell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Vessell | 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
    72%
  • Private Means
    29%

What Vessell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Vessell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Vessell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Vessell

Passenger Lists

There are 124 immigration records available for the last name Vessell. 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 Vessell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 306 military records available for the last name Vessell. For the veterans among your Vessell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Vessell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Vessell family history

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What is the average Vessell lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Vessell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1974, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Vessell in 1960 was 56, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Vessell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Vessell 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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