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Cowels Family History

Cowels Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Cowell, Cowens, Nowels, Vowels, Bowes, Powell, Howell, Colwell

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Cowels family from?

You can see how Cowels families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cowels family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Cowels families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 10 Cowels families living in Manitoba. This was about 63% of all the recorded Cowels's in Canada. Manitoba had the highest population of Cowels families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cowels 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 Cowels ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Cowels. 37% of Cowels men worked as a Laborer and 50% of Cowels women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cowels were Farm Laborer and Teacher.

View Census Data for Cowels | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    37%
  • Farmer
    28%
  • Salesman
    19%
  • Farm Laborer
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    50%
  • Teacher
    50%

What Cowels family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Cowels. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cowels census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Cowels

Passenger Lists

There are 90 immigration records available for the last name Cowels. 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 Cowels immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 259 military records available for the last name Cowels. For the veterans among your Cowels ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cowels military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cowels family history

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What is the average Cowels lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Cowels life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1998, and highest in 1973. The average life expectancy for Cowels in 1960 was 64, and 65 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cowels

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cowels 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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