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Blackwell Family History

Blackwell Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of various places called Blackwell for example in Cumbria Derbyshire County Durham Warwickshire Somerset Devon Sussex and Worcestershire named in Old English frp blæc ‘black dark’ + wæll(a) well(a) ‘spring stream’. Alternatively it may be a topographic name for someone who lived by the ‘dark well or stream’ Middle English blak + wel(le).

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


Similar surnames: Blacknall, Bracewell, Brockwell, Blackwood, Blakely, Bakewell

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Blackwell family from?

You can see how Blackwell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Blackwell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Blackwell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 377 Blackwell families living in Ontario. This was about 65% of all the recorded Blackwell's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Blackwell families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Blackwell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Blackwell ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Blackwell. 31% of Blackwell men worked as a Farmer and 15% of Blackwell women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Blackwell were Salesman and Servant. .

View Census Data for Blackwell | 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
    31%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Salesman
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    15%
  • Student
    15%
  • Housewife
    15%
  • Servant
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Blackwell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 259,000 census records available for the last name Blackwell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Blackwell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Blackwell

Passenger Lists

There are 17,000 immigration records available for the last name Blackwell. 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 Blackwell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 44,000 military records available for the last name Blackwell. For the veterans among your Blackwell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Blackwell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Blackwell family history

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What is the average Blackwell lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Blackwell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Blackwell in 1940 was 44, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Blackwell

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