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Gell Family History

Gell Name Meaning

English (northern): from Middle English Gelle a pet form of the personal name Gerard. Gerard in Middle English was indistinguishable from Gerald of which Gelle was a syncopated form. English: occasionally a variant of Gill from a pet form of the personal name Jelion or Gillian. These are Middle English versions of Julian found mainly as a female name occasionally as a male name. Manx: variant of Gill a shortened form of Gaelic Mac Gille meaning ‘son of the lad (i.e. servant)’. German (mainly Bavaria): nickname for someone with fair hair from Bavarian German gêl ‘yellow’ (see Gelb ). Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): nickname for a man with red hair from Yiddish gel ‘red-headed’ (from Middle High German gel ‘yellow’).

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


Similar surnames: Bell, Gehl, Hell, Pell, Well, Nell, Ell, Gill, Fell, Gall

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Where is the Gell family from?

You can see how Gell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Gell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1880 there were 39 Gell families living in New York. This was about 30% of all the recorded Gell's in USA. New York had the highest population of Gell families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gell 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 Gell ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Gell. 13% of Gell men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Gell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gell were Incapacitated and Private Means. .

View Census Data for Gell | 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

  • General Labourer
    13%
  • Bricklayer
    8%
  • Farm Labourer
    8%
  • Incapacitated
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 26,000 census records available for the last name Gell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Gell

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Gell. 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 2,000 military records available for the last name Gell. For the veterans among your Gell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Gell lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Gell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Gell in 1952 was 58, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gell

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