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Kells Family History

Kells Surname Meaning

Scottish and Irish: from a personal name based on Old Norse ketill ‘sacrificial cauldron helmet’ with post-medieval excrescent English -s.

In Scotland it may also be of topographic origin from a place called as ‘the cauldron’.

English: variant of Kell with post-medieval excrescent -s.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Kells family from?

You can see how Kells families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kells family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kells families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 124 Kells families living in Ontario. This was about 75% of all the recorded Kells's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Kells families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kells 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 Kells ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Kells. 57% of Kells men worked as a Farmer and 46% of Kells women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kells were Farmers Son and Teacher.

View Census Data for Kells | 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
    57%
  • Labourer
    15%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Farmers Son
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    46%
  • Income
    28%
  • Teacher
    28%

What Kells family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 19,000 census records available for the last name Kells. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kells census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Kells

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Kells. For the veterans among your Kells ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kells military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kells family history

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What is the average Kells lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Kells life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Kells in 1944 was 26, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kells

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kells 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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