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Horsnell Family History

Horsnell Name Meaning

from Middle English horsenail ‘horseshoe nail’. The motivation for the name is uncertain; it might have been metonymic for a farrier but the earliest recorded bearer owned a sizeable house (a mesagium) in Bridgnorth which suggests a freeholder of some substance. More likely the name was metaphorical for a small person with a large head as suggested by Edward Topsell's reference to tadpoles ‘which we call in English Horse-nailes because they resemble a Horse-naile in their similitude whose head is great and the other part small’ (1608 in OED). For the sense compare Cabot .

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


Similar surnames: Cornell, Thorsell, Horsfall, Thornell, Hartnell, Worstell, Forsell

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Where is the Horsnell family from?

You can see how Horsnell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Horsnell family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Horsnell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1880 there were 24 Horsnell families living in Wisconsin. This was about 60% of all the recorded Horsnell's in USA. Wisconsin had the highest population of Horsnell families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Horsnell 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 Horsnell ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Plumber and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Horsnell. 16% of Horsnell men worked as a Plumber and 85% of Horsnell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Horsnell were Jobbing Gardener and Old Age Pensioner. .

View Census Data for Horsnell | 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.

England shown, United States data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Plumber
    16%
  • House Decorator
    16%
  • Gardener
    16%
  • Jobbing Gardener
    11%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    85%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Dressmaker
    3%
  • Old Age Pensioner
    2%
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What Horsnell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Horsnell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Horsnell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Horsnell

Passenger Lists

There are 420 immigration records available for the last name Horsnell. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Horsnell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 437 military records available for the last name Horsnell. For the veterans among your Horsnell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Horsnell military records

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What is the average Horsnell lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2003, in the United States, Horsnell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1989, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Horsnell in 1966 was 68, and 65 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Horsnell

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