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Oswell Family History

Oswell Name Meaning

English: of uncertain origin, possibly a habitational name, of which the second element appears to be Old English well(a) ‘spring’, ‘creek’. The first element may be a short form of an Old English personal name containing the element os ‘god’ (see for example Oswald) or its Old Norse cognate ás (see Osborne). However, the earliest known bearer of the name was Roger Wyswall, who was admitted as a burgess of Shrewsbury in 1450. The English name is found in various forms, including Woosall and Wossald. Irish (Ulster): adopted as an English equivalent of Gaelic Ó hEodhusa ‘descendant of Eodhus’ (see Hussey).

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


Similar surnames: Doswell, Oswald, Boswell, Olwell, Sewell, Elwell, Powell, Rowell

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Oswell family from?

You can see how Oswell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Oswell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Oswell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 3 Oswell families living in New York. This was about 33% of all the recorded Oswell's in USA. New York had the highest population of Oswell families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Oswell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Oswell ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Oswell. 18% of Oswell men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Oswell women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Oswell were Labor and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Oswell | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    18%
  • Laborer
    18%
  • Clerk
    9%
  • Labor
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    20%
  • Cook
    20%
  • Saleslady
    20%
  • Clerk
    20%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Oswell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 7,000 census records available for the last name Oswell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Oswell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Oswell

Passenger Lists

There are 851 immigration records available for the last name Oswell. 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 Oswell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 844 military records available for the last name Oswell. For the veterans among your Oswell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Oswell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Oswell family history

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What is the average Oswell lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Oswell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2002, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Oswell in 1959 was 53, and 62 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Oswell

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