Elwell Family History

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Elwell Name Meaning

English: habitational name, most probably from a place in Dorset, named from Old English h?l ‘omen’ + well(a) ‘spring’, ‘stream’; the reference is presumably to pagan river worship. Two minor places with this name in Devon are probably named as ‘elder-tree spring’, from Old English ellern ‘elder tree’ + well(a). The surname is now found chiefly in the West Midlands. Compare Halliwell.

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


Similar surnames: Olwell, Ewell, Colwell, Oswell, Sewell, Ledwell, Rowell, Adwell

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Elwell Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Elwell name?

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

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  • England & Wales

    52%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    21%

  • Germanic Europe

    7%

  • France

    3%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    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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Elwell Family Origin

Where is the Elwell family from?

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You can see how Elwell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Elwell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Elwell families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 499 Elwell families living in Staffordshire. This was about 45% of all the recorded Elwell's in the UK. Staffordshire had the highest population of Elwell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Elwell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Elwell

Elwell Family Occupations

What did your Elwell ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, a less common occupation for the Elwell family was Bricklayer. Coal Miner, Labourer and Boiler Maker were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Elwell. The most common Elwell occupation in the UK was Coal Miner. 7% of Elwell's were Coal Miners.

View Census data for Elwell | Data not to scale

  • Coal Miner

    7%

  • Labourer

    5%

  • Boiler Maker

    3%

  • Bricklayer

    3%

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

Elwell Historical Records

What Elwell family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 47,000 census records available for the last name Elwell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Elwell 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 Elwell

Passenger List

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Elwell. 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 Elwell immigration records

Draft Card

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

View all Elwell military records

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Elwell Life Expectancy

What is the average Elwell lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Elwell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1987. The average life expectancy for Elwell in 1947 was 40, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Elwell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Elwell 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 Elwell Family Ancestors

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