History of your Surname
Get access to Grell family records.Start a free trial

Grell Family History

Grell Name Meaning

German: nickname for an irritable irascible person from Middle High German grel ‘rough angry’. German: metonymic occupational name from Middle High German grelle ‘spiked instrument; fork spear’ for a user or maker. German: habitational name from a place called Grelle. Danish: from a short form of German Schleppegrell see

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


Similar surnames: Grill, Groll, Grall, Guell, Krell, Gell, Knell, Prell, Kell, Reil

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Grell family from?

You can see how Grell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Grell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Grell families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 6 Grell families living in Ontario. This was about 75% of all the recorded Grell's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Grell families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Grell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Grell ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Grell. 29% of Grell men worked as a Farmer and 16% of Grell women worked as a Housework. Some less common occupations for Americans named Grell were Farm Laborer and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Grell | 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

  • Farmer
    29%
  • Laborer
    19%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Farm Laborer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    16%
  • Maid
    16%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Housewife
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Grell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 7,000 census records available for the last name Grell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Grell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Grell

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Grell. For the veterans among your Grell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Grell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Grell family history

Discover More

What is the average Grell lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Grell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Grell in 1951 was 47, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Grell

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Grell family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Grell last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial