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Snell Family History

Snell Name Meaning

English: nickname for a quick lively or courageous person from Middle English snel(l) ‘swift vivacious brisk bold’ (Old English snel(l) Old Norse snjallr). See also Sneller Snelling . English: from the Middle English personal name Snel(l) (Old English Snell Old Norse Snjallr with the same origins as the nickname above). Americanized form of German Schnell ‘quick’. Dutch: variant mostly Americanized of Snel which is from the ancient Germanic personal name Snello (a short form of compound names such as Snelhard based on the element meaning ‘courageous agile speedy swift’; see Sneller ) and perhaps also a nickname for a brisk or active person (from snel ‘speedy swift’). As a variant of Van der Snel it is also a habitational name for someone from a place called Sneudel or Snoedel (from snode ‘poor’ + lo ‘open space in wood’).

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


Similar surnames: Knell, Nell, Sell, Shell, Self, Hell, Stell, Still, Dell, Gell

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Where is the Snell family from?

You can see how Snell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Snell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Snell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 442 Snell families living in Ontario. This was about 66% of all the recorded Snell's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Snell families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Snell 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 Snell ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Snell. 47% of Snell men worked as a Farmer and 23% of Snell women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Snell were Carpenter and Income. .

View Census Data for Snell | 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
    47%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    23%
  • Stenographer
    15%
  • Nurse
    15%
  • Income
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Snell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 245,000 census records available for the last name Snell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Snell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Snell

Passenger Lists

There are 16,000 immigration records available for the last name Snell. 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 29,000 military records available for the last name Snell. For the veterans among your Snell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Snell lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Snell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Snell in 1941 was 43, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Snell

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