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Shell Family History

Shell Name Meaning

English and Irish: variant of Shield . English: from Middle English s(c)hele ‘hut’ (Old English scela) a term confined to northern England and southern Scotland. The surname may be topographic for someone who lived in or near a hut or habitational from a place so named. The element is found in several minor placenames in the forms Shiel and Shield in northern and midland England and southern Scotland. See Shield . English: habitational name from Shell in Himbleton (Worcestershire) from Old English scelf ‘rock ledge shelf’. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Schelle ‘bell’. Americanized form of German Schell .

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

Similar surnames: Sell, Hell, Helle, Rishell, Shall, Knell, Shelley, Snell, Stell

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Where is the Shell family from?

You can see how Shell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 140 Shell families living in Northumberland. This was about 21% of all the recorded Shell's in United Kingdom. Northumberland had the highest population of Shell families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Shell

What did your Shell ancestors do for a living?

View Census Data for Shell | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Farmer
14%
Builders Labourer
11%
Postman
9%
Plasterer
9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

Unpaid Domestic Duties
77%
Domestic Duties
3%
Incapacitated
3%
Housewife
3%

Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Shell family records will you find?

Census Records
There are 71,000 census records available for the last name Shell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
Search UK census records for Shell
Passenger Lists
There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Shell. 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 Shell immigration records
Draft Cards
There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Shell. For the veterans among your Shell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.
View all Shell military records

Census Records

There are 71,000 census records available for the last name Shell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shell

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Shell. 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 Shell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Shell. For the veterans among your Shell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shell family history

Discover More

What is the average Shell lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Shell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Shell in 1945 was 38, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shell

Browse profiles of historical people with the Shell last name