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Cannell Family History

Cannell Name Meaning

Manx: shortened form of Gaelic Mac Dhomhnaill ‘son of Domhnall’. It is equivalent to Scottish McDonald and Irish McConnell . Domhnall was sometimes Anglicized as Daniel in Ireland and the Isle of Mann. The Manx placename Ballacannell (one in Arbory another in Lonan) is ‘Cannell's farm’ from the surname. English: perhaps from Middle English canel ‘cinnamon’ (Old French canele) a metonymic occupational name denoting a spicer. English: alternatively perhaps from Middle English can(n)el Old French canel chanel denoting someone who lived by a water channel or a city drain. English: variant of Canwell a habitational name either from Canwell (Staffordshire) or perhaps of Norman origin from Canville-les-Deux-Eglises Seine-Maritime (France). Variant of Canell a surname of French origin.

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


Similar surnames: Canell, Sandell, Cannella, Pannell, Connell, Channell, Crannell

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Cannell family from?

You can see how Cannell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cannell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cannell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 572 Cannell families living in Isle of Man. This was about 35% of all the recorded Cannell's in United Kingdom. Isle of Man had the highest population of Cannell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cannell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Cannell 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 Cannell. 18% of Cannell men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Cannell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cannell were Butcher and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Cannell | 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
    18%
  • Bricklayer
    7%
  • Bus Conductor
    6%
  • Butcher
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Cannell family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Cannell

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Cannell. For the veterans among your Cannell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cannell military records

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What is the average Cannell lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Cannell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1977. The average life expectancy for Cannell in 1944 was 28, and 66 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cannell

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