Fell Family History

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Fell Name Meaning

English (chiefly northern): topographic name for someone who lived by an area of high ground or by a prominent crag, from northern Middle English fell ‘high ground’, ‘rock’, ‘crag’ (Old Norse fjall, fell). English, German, and Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a furrier, from Middle English fell, Middle High German vel, or German Fell or Yiddish fel, all of which mean ‘skin’, ‘hide’, or ‘pelt’. Yiddish fel refers to untanned hide, in contrast to pelts ‘tanned hide’ (see Pilcher).

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


Similar surnames: Bell, Fels, Pell, Fall, Dell, Well, Hell, Feld, Sell, Tell

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Fell Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Fell name?

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

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  • England & Wales

    50%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    20%

  • Germanic Europe

    9%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    5%

  • Norway

    4%

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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Fell Family Origin

Where is the Fell family from?

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1840
    1920
    You can see how Fell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fell families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1840 there were 67 Fell families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 49% of all the recorded Fell's in the USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Fell families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Fell

    Fell Family Occupations

    What did your Fell ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, a less common occupation for the Fell family was Butcher. The most common Fell occupation in the USA was Farmer. 31% of Fell's were Farmers. Farmer, Laborer and Keeping House were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Fell.

    View Census data for Fell | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      31%

    • Laborer

      5%

    • Keeping House

      5%

    • Butcher

      2%

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

    Fell Historical Records

    What Fell family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 114,000 census records available for the last name Fell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Fell

    Passenger List

    There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Fell. 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 Fell immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 22,000 military records available for the last name Fell. For the veterans among your Fell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Fell military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Fell family history.

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    Fell Life Expectancy

    What is the average Fell lifespan?

    Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Fell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Fell in 1944 was 39, and 75 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fell

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

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