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Colwell Family History

Colwell Name Meaning

English (southern England and West Midlands): habitational name from any of the places in Northumberland and Devon named Colwell. The former is named with Old English col ‘(char)coal’ or cōl ‘cool’ + well(a) ‘spring stream’; the latter has as the first element a Celtic river name Coly apparently meaning ‘narrow’. Alternatively a habitational name from Colwall (Herefordshire) or Colwell House in Wivelsfield (Sussex).

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


Similar surnames: Olwell, Cowell, Cromwell, Oswell, Cogswell, Doswell, Cornell

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Colwell family from?

You can see how Colwell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Colwell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Colwell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 279 Colwell families living in Ontario. This was about 47% of all the recorded Colwell's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Colwell families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Colwell 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 Colwell ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Colwell. 45% of Colwell men worked as a Farmer and 21% of Colwell women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Colwell were Farmers Son and Student. .

View Census Data for Colwell | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    45%
  • Labourer
    6%
  • Laborer
    5%
  • Farmers Son
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    21%
  • Teacher
    16%
  • Stenographer
    13%
  • Student
    13%
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What Colwell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 89,000 census records available for the last name Colwell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Colwell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Colwell

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Colwell. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Colwell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 13,000 military records available for the last name Colwell. For the veterans among your Colwell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Colwell military records

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What is the average Colwell lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Colwell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Colwell in 1942 was 33, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Colwell

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