Bethel Family History

Bethel Surname Meaning

Welsh: Anglicized form of Welsh ap Ithell ‘son of Ithel’ a personal name meaning ‘bountiful lord’. This name was adopted in Wales and elsewhere as a name for a chapel as it is a homograph of a Biblical placename meaning ‘house of God’ in Hebrew (Genesis 12, 13, 28 and elsewhere in the Bible).

German: habitational name from Bethel in Westphalia.

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

Similar surnames: Bethea, Beisel, Metzel, Netzel, Bethke, Betley, Betker, Bethell, Pethel, Better

221,000 record(s) for Bethel

63K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
8K	Military Records
6K	Immigration Records
37K	Census and Voter Lists
105K	Member Trees

Where is the Bethel family from?

You can see how Bethel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bethel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bethel families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 22 Bethel families living in Ohio. This was about 31% of all the recorded Bethel's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Bethel families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bethel surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Bethel ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Bethel. 21% of Bethel men worked as a Laborer and 16% of Bethel women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bethel were Salesman and Laundress.

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 1940

Laborer

21%

Farmer

14%

Truck driver

5%

Salesman

5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Maid

16%

Teacher

8%

Housewife

8%

Laundress

6%

What Bethel family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 37K census records available for the last name Bethel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bethel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 6K immigration records available for the last name Bethel. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

Military Records

There are 8K military records available for the last name Bethel. For the veterans among your Bethel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Bethel lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Bethel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Bethel in 1940 was 37, and 72 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bethel 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.