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Spells Family History

Spells Surname Meaning

Perhaps also an altered form of German Spell. English: perhaps a variant of Spauls itself a variant of Spall with post-medieval excrescent -s.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Spells family from?

You can see how Spells families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Spells family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Spells families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 42 Spells families living in Kent. This was about 37% of all the recorded Spells's in United Kingdom. Kent had the highest population of Spells families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Spells 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 Spells ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Laborer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Spells. 46% of Spells men worked as a Laborer and 28% of Spells women worked as a Laborer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Spells were Carpenter and Domestic.

View Census Data for Spells | 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
    46%
  • Farmer
    34%
  • Farming
    6%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    28%
  • Servant
    21%
  • Maid
    18%
  • Domestic
    11%

What Spells family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Spells. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Spells census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Spells

Passenger Lists

There are 217 immigration records available for the last name Spells. 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 Spells immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 963 military records available for the last name Spells. For the veterans among your Spells ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Spells military records

You've only scratched the surface of Spells family history

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What is the average Spells lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Spells life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Spells in 1944 was 40, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Spells

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Spells 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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