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Shimwell Family History

Shimwell Name Meaning

probably a variant of Shimell (see Shemeld ) with a folk etymological interpretation of -ell as a casual pronunciation of -well. South Hykeham where the name is recorded in the late 16th century is 15 miles from Belton where the surname Symeld occurs in 1332 Subsidy Rolls (Lincs). Compare Alicia Shemeld 1611 William Shimwell 1755 in IGI (Chesterfield Derbys); Ruth Shimell 1755 Elizabeth Shimwell 1801 in IGI (Ault Hucknall Derbys).apparently from a place-name meaning ‘shining stream’ (Middle English shim + well) but this has not been definitely located. There is Shining Well in Darley Dale (only known from an 1836 map; Place-Names of Derbys p. 83) suitably placed for Bakewell and Chesterfield Poor Law Unions where the name is most numerous in 188 The surname could derive from an earlier name for that but lack of evidence makes this doubtful.

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


Similar surnames: Shemwell, Hipwell, Sidwell, Shadwell, Whitwell, Showell, Shimel

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Where is the Shimwell family from?

You can see how Shimwell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shimwell family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1880 and 1920. The most Shimwell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1880 there were 6 Shimwell families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 60% of all the recorded Shimwell's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Shimwell families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shimwell 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 Shimwell ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Shimwell. 34% of Shimwell men worked as a Farmer and 92% of Shimwell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shimwell were Dairy arable Farmer Own Account In Partner M and Domestic Servant. .

View Census Data for Shimwell | 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

  • Farmer
    34%
  • Wholesale Retail Grocery Warchousemanheavy Worker
    34%
  • Dairy arable Farmer Own Account In Partner M
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    92%
  • House Duties
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
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What Shimwell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Shimwell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shimwell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Shimwell

Passenger Lists

There are 183 immigration records available for the last name Shimwell. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 109 military records available for the last name Shimwell. For the veterans among your Shimwell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Shimwell lifespan?

Average Shimwell life expectancy in 1973 was 95 years. This was higher than the general public life expectancy which was 70.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shimwell

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