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Brownell Family History

Brownell Name Meaning

English: topographic name for someone who lived ‘(by the) brown hill or corner of land’ from Middle English brun(e) broun(e) + hil ‘hill’ or hale ‘nook corner’ (Old English brūn + hyll or halh) or a habitational name from any of various places so named for example in Yorkshire Cheshire and Staffordshire.

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


Similar surnames: Browell, Cowell, Rowell, Bidwell, Crowell, Brunell, Trowell, Bromwell

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Brownell family from?

You can see how Brownell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brownell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brownell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 123 Brownell families living in Ontario. This was about 34% of all the recorded Brownell's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Brownell families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brownell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Brownell ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Brownell. 42% of Brownell men worked as a Farmer and 36% of Brownell women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brownell were Labourer and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Brownell | 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
    42%
  • Fisherman
    8%
  • Farmers Son
    8%
  • Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    36%
  • Clerk
    30%
  • Stenographer
    12%
  • Teacher
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Brownell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 63,000 census records available for the last name Brownell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brownell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Brownell

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Brownell. 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 Brownell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Brownell. For the veterans among your Brownell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brownell military records

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What is the average Brownell lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Brownell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Brownell in 1945 was 62, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brownell

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