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Bethel Family History

Bethel Name Meaning

Welsh: Anglicized form of Welsh ap Ithell ‘son of Ithel’ a personal name meaning ‘bountiful lord’. This name was adopted in Wales and elsewhere as a name for a chapel as it is a homograph of a Biblical placename meaning ‘house of God’ in Hebrew (Genesis 12 13 28 and elsewhere in the Bible). German: habitational name from Bethel in Westphalia.

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


Similar surnames: Bethea, Beisel, Metzel, Netzel, Bethke, Betley, Betker, Bethell

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Bethel family from?

You can see how Bethel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bethel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bethel families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 173 Bethel families living in Lancashire. This was about 39% of all the recorded Bethel's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Bethel families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bethel surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Bethel 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 Bethel. 20% of Bethel men worked as a General Labourer and 82% of Bethel women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bethel were Electrical Cable Joint and Waitress. .

View Census Data for Bethel | 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
    20%
  • Old Age Pensioner
    14%
  • Builders Labourer
    14%
  • Electrical Cable Joint
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Household Duties
    3%
  • Waitress
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Bethel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 37,000 census records available for the last name Bethel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bethel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bethel

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Bethel. 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 Bethel immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Bethel. For the veterans among your Bethel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bethel military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bethel family history

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What is the average Bethel lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Bethel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Bethel in 1940 was 37, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bethel

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