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Jewell Family History

Jewell Name Meaning

English (Devon and Cornwall): from an Old Breton personal name Iudhael composed of elements meaning ‘lord’ + ‘generous bountiful’ (see Jewkes ) which was borne by a 7th-century Christian saint a king of Brittany who abdicated and spent the last part of his life in a monastery. Forms of this name are found in medieval records not only in Devon and Cornwall where they are of native origin but also in East Anglia and even Yorkshire where they were imported by Bretons after the Norman Conquest. The name was seemingly reintroduced from France in the 17th century by Huguenots.

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


Similar surnames: Sewell, Newell, Oswell, Rowell, Howell, Ewell, Levell, Powell, Elwell

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Where is the Jewell family from?

You can see how Jewell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Jewell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Jewell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 374 Jewell families living in Ontario. This was about 71% of all the recorded Jewell's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Jewell families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Jewell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Jewell ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Jewell. 43% of Jewell men worked as a Farmer and 16% of Jewell women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Jewell were Machinist and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Jewell | 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
    43%
  • Labourer
    11%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Machinist
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    16%
  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Income
    11%
  • Clerk
    11%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Jewell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 184,000 census records available for the last name Jewell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Jewell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Jewell

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Jewell. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 25,000 military records available for the last name Jewell. For the veterans among your Jewell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Jewell lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Jewell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Jewell in 1942 was 24, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Jewell

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