Cowell Family History

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Cowell Name Meaning

English: habitational name from places in Lancashire and Gloucestershire called Cowhill, from Old English cu ‘cow’ + hyll ‘hill’. possibly also an Americanized form of Polish, Jewish, and Sorbian Kowal.

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


Similar surnames: Rowell, Colwell, Crowell, Howell, Cowgill, Covell, Bowell, Corwell

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Cowell Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Cowell name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Cowell. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    53%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    19%

  • Germanic Europe

    8%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    4%

  • Norway

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Cowell Family Origin

Where is the Cowell family from?

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You can see how Cowell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cowell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cowell families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,372 Cowell families living in Lancashire. This was about 27% of all the recorded Cowell's in the UK. Lancashire had the highest population of Cowell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cowell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Cowell

Cowell Family Occupations

What did your Cowell ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, a less common occupation for the Cowell family was Farmer. Coal Miner, Labourer and Agricultural Labourer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Cowell. The most common Cowell occupation in the UK was Coal Miner. 4% of Cowell's were Coal Miners.

View Census data for Cowell | Data not to scale

  • Coal Miner

    4%

  • Labourer

    3%

  • Agricultural Labourer

    3%

  • Farmer

    3%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Cowell ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Cowell Historical Records

What Cowell family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 126,000 census records available for the last name Cowell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cowell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1891 UK census records for Cowell

Passenger List

There are 15,000 immigration records available for the last name Cowell. 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 Cowell immigration records

Draft Card

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Cowell. For the veterans among your Cowell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cowell military records

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Cowell Life Expectancy

What is the average Cowell lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Cowell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Cowell in 1942 was 28, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cowell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cowell 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.

Famous Cowell Family Ancestors

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