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Bel Family History

Bel Surname Meaning

French: nickname for a handsome man (perhaps also ironically for an ugly one) from Old French beu bel ‘beautiful handsome’ (from Late Latin bellus). Compare Lebel and Beau.

Hungarian (Bél): from the old personal name Bél or perhaps from bél ‘inside internal part’. The latter may have been an occupational name for an indoor servant i.e. one who worked inside a great house.

Dutch: possibly an altered form of Scottish Bell.

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


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Where is the Bel family from?

You can see how Bel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Bel families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 6 Bel families living in Ontario. This was about 60% of all the recorded Bel's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Bel families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bel 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 Bel ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Bel. 37% of Bel men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Bel women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bel were Student and At Home.

View Census Data for Bel | 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
    37%
  • Journalier
    28%
  • Tudiant
    19%
  • Student
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    34%
  • Institutrice
    23%
  • Servante
    23%
  • At Home
    23%

What Bel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Bel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Bel

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Bel. 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 Bel immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Bel military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bel family history

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What is the average Bel lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2003, in the United States, Bel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Bel in 1955 was 35, and 85 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bel

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bel ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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