The Pell surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,424 people carried this name — #7,520 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 66,700 people counted. That is up 2% from 4,329 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Pell surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley explains it as ‘the son of Pell’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Walter fil. Pelle, Huntingdonshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls. Fil. is Latin for “son of”.

His entry covers Pell, Pelle and Pells.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 594 · public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 56 people named Pell live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 38
Santa Fe 18

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In the Nordic population registers

37 people named Pell is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 37

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Pell was found among the farmers of Nottinghamshire: 16 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Nottinghamshire 16

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

31 families named Pell, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 164 people lived in those households, 5.3 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 20
Pennsylvania 4
North Carolina 2
Maine 1
Vermont 1
Maryland 1
Virginia 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 256 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Pell in American newspapers,
1918–1919.

Newspaper page from The Sea Coast Echo carrying the name Pell
The Sea Coast Echo 1918-11-30
Newspaper page from The Saratoga Sun carrying the name Pell
The Saratoga Sun 1918-10-31
Newspaper page from Mineral Point Tribune carrying the name Pell
Mineral Point Tribune 1919-01-02

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 3,053 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Pell in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

19,924 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pell. The most, 3,812, date from the 1900s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 3.2 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 6,036
Western Australia 5,512
New South Wales 5,024
Queensland 1,549
South Australia 953
Tasmania 784
ACT (Canberra) 35
Northern Territory 12

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pell.

Who carried it

People named Pell,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Pell
    John Pell 1611–1685 · deacon
  • Edward Pell d. 2010 · businessperson
  • John Pell d. 1608 · politician
  • Beauchamp Tyndall Pell d. 1914 · military officer
  • Annie Mary Pell d. 1999 · botanical collector
  • John Pell d. 1840

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Pell,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States742 records

742 records of the Pell name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 308
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 160
  • Other U.S. records 274
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Earl O. Pell

    Born 1904 in Pennsylvania. Enlisted 1942 at Philadelphia; plasterer from Philadelphia County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1962, buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Randall Lee Pell

    Born 1946; from Wabash, Indiana. U.S. Marine Corps, aircraft safety equipment mechanic; killed in action 1970 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Joh Peter Pell

    Arrived at New York in 1837 aboard the Vesta from Bremen, aged 49; weaver. From Grossrillart, Germany; bound for Pittsburgh.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 742 records for Pell in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia385 records

385 records of the Pell name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 192
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 118
  • Other Australian records 75
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Pell

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Southworth, sailing from London in 1830. Native of Manton, Rutland.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Pell

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Sussex, aged 30; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Ernest J. Pell

    Farmer of Yielima, Victoria; died 1934.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 385 records for Pell in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands256 records

256 records of the Pell name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 125
  • Dutch population registers 90
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 41
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jan Jans Pell

    Married in 1840 in Leens; shoemaker. Died 1849 in Warfhuizen (Leens), aged 40.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hasina Maria Pell

    Married in 1906 in Amsterdam. Died 1934 in Heerlen, aged 54.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Helena Pell

    Married in 1900 in Wormerveer. Died 1960 in Alkmaar, aged 81.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 256 records for Pell in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada30 records

30 records of the Pell name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 14
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 7
  • Other Canadian records 9
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record John Pell

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Ann, bound for Port Roseway, aged 14.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Pell

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Severn, landing at Quebec, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Bruce Kenneth Pell

    Died 1999, aged 73; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 3 of 30 records for Pell in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Germany15 records

15 records of the Pell name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Hermann Pell

    From Gr. Krebs, Marienwerder. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 5 September 1916 (Infantry Regiment No. 129).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Walter Pell

    From Breslau. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 4 July 1916 (Fusilier Regiment No. 35).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Gerhard Pell

    From Büderich, Düsseldorf. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 15 March 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 15 records for Pell in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom13 records

13 records of the Pell name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Pell

    Middlesex Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record C. Pell

    Royal Guernsey Light Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. A. Pell

    Rjth Staffordshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 13 records for Pell in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Pell name in New Zealand
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Charles Henry Pell

    Buried in 1911 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 42.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record A. Pell

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Finland2 records

2 records of the Pell name in Finland Finland's war dead, 1914–1922
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Vihtori Verneri Pell

    Born 1891. Died, one of the dead of Finland's wars of 1914–1922.

    Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Aleksander Pell

    Born 1875. Died in 1920, one of the dead of Finland's wars of 1914–1922.

    Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Pell name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Oleg Pell

    Born 1915 in Russia; died 2001 in Noyon (Oise).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Pell.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Pell is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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