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Colwell Family History

Colwell Name Meaning

English: habitational name from places in Northumberland and Devon named Colwell. The former is named with Old English col ‘(char)coal’ or col ‘cool’ + well(a) ‘spring’, ‘stream’; the latter has as the first element a Celtic river name, Coly, apparently meaning ‘narrow’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Olwell, Cowell, Cromwell, Oswell, Cogswell, Doswell, Cornell

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Colwell family from?

You can see how Colwell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Colwell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Colwell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 154 Colwell families living in London. This was about 15% of all the recorded Colwell's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Colwell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Colwell 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 Colwell 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 Colwell. 13% of Colwell men worked as a General Labourer and 74% of Colwell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Colwell were Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic. .

View Census Data for Colwell | 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
    13%
  • Incapacitated
    9%
  • Gardener
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Colwell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 89,000 census records available for the last name Colwell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Colwell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Colwell

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 13,000 military records available for the last name Colwell. For the veterans among your Colwell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Colwell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Colwell family history

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What is the average Colwell lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Colwell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Colwell in 1942 was 33, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Colwell

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