24,900 Bell records from public death, burial and census records and the old county histories, in all 12 Midwestern states we cover. Every name is a real person in the public record, and we follow set rules to leave living people out (how).
From public death, burial and census records across 12 Midwestern states. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how). Tap a state or a decade to narrow the list of ancestors below.
Written from county histories and public records, every fact cited. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how).
Family histories, generation by generation (1)
Family records from county histories (10)
The earliest Bells in the county histories
Family trees from the public record
In old newspapers
In the county history family index
Biographies from the county histories (4)
120 of the 23,404 Bell people in our records, from every state where the name turns up: the earliest born and the most recent deaths, newest first. Tap a name to open that person's page. Someone listed in two public indexes is shown once. Search every Bell record →
Found your Bell? We trace your family back as far as the records go and write it up as a family history book, every source cited. No DNA test and no sales call: we take a free first look, then email you a plan and a flat price before you spend a dollar.
English & Scottish: a nickname from Old French 'bel' (handsome), an occupational name for a bell-ringer, or residence at the sign of the bell.
Our database holds 24,900 Bell records from all 12 Midwestern states. The most are in Missouri (5,828), then Ohio (4,703) and Illinois (3,537).
The earliest Bell birth in our database is 1819: Mary Ann Bell, Hancock County, Ohio. We have pieced together 1,128 Bell family trees from public birth and death records.
Not knowingly. We follow set rules to leave living people out of our public pages. If you find a living relative listed here, email us and we will take the record down.
Maybe. Many people share a name, so treat any match as a possible match until the dates and places line up with what you know about your family. Every person here links to their own page with the details, and we can trace your line for you.
Part of a network of documented family histories: