Powell Surname

A Fun, Fact-Filled Look at the Meaning and Origin of the
Powell Surname

Powell Meaning

The surname Powell has its main origin in the Welsh personal name Hywel, which was often anglicized to Howel or Howell. In Wales, there were traditionally no fixed hereditary surnames. Instead, a patronymic system was used where people were identified by their given name combined with their father’s or grandfather’s personal name.

Over time, the phrase “ap Hywel” or “ap Howell”, meaning “son of Hywel/Howell”, contracted into the surname Powell. This transition from patronymic naming to hereditary surnames occurred for Welsh families between the 16th and 19th centuries.

The name Hywel itself is an ancient Welsh name composed of the elements “hy” meaning “eminent” or “illustrious” and “gwellt” meaning “mane” or “hair”. It was the name of the famous 10th century Welsh king Hywel Dda (Howell the Good) who codified Welsh law.

So in essence, the surname Powell derives from “ap Hywel” – literally meaning “son of Hywel/Howell”, with Hywel/Howell being an eminent Welsh personal name. The surname is extremely common across Wales and bordering English counties like Shropshire and Herefordshire with strong Welsh influence.

For Powell families without Welsh ancestry, the name occasionally derived from the Biblical name Paul or the French Puel instead. However, the primary origin is the contraction of the Welsh patronymic “ap Hywel” over centuries of use.

Powell Last Name Variations

Virtually all surnames have developed phonetic and spelling variations over many centuries in many countries. A person’s last name was often spelled however it sounded to the person recording it.

When you’re researching your branch of the Powell family tree, you may find that your ancestors used one or more of these variations of the Powell surname: Pauwel, Peall, Poel, Poell, Poisel, Pobel, Poggel, Poubel, Pouel, Pouell, Powel, Powle, Puell.

Powell Last Name Origin

Powell Last Name Origin in Wales:

The surname Powell found widespread prominence across the southern regions of Wales, particularly concentrated in areas such as Breconshire (Brecknockshire), Glamorgan, and Radnorshire.

Amongst the earliest distinguished Powell families were the Powells of Castle Madoc in Brecon, reputed to be among the first to adopt the anglicized form of the surname during the 16th century, having constructed a castle in the area around 1100.

The Powells of Maesgwynne Estate, a sprawling 3,468-acre property in Carmarthenshire, held prominence as squires of the land.

Another influential Powell lineage, the Powells of Nanteos, established themselves in the turbulent epoch of the English Civil War in the 1600s, tracing their descent from Philip ap Howell.

Powell Last Name Origin in England:

While the Powell name had its primary origins in the Welsh patronymic system, it also emerged independently in parts of England, particularly the eastern counties, from various linguistic roots.

The name first surfaced in the East Anglia region, with the earliest recorded instance being Radulphus Powel, a landowner at Carleton in Suffolk around 1200. By the end of the 15th century, the name had become fairly common in Suffolk county, with some families called Powell and others Powle.

Notable early Powell/Powle families in East Anglia included landowners at Great Waldingfield in Suffolk, the Powles of Great Ilford, which included Sir Stephen Powle in the early 1600s, and Clement Powell, born in Mildenhall, Suffolk in 1576, who settled in Saffron Walden, Essex.

Beyond the Welsh “ap Hywel” root, the name also emerged from other sources in England, such as being derived from the Biblical name Paul, the French form Puel, indicating proximity to a pool of water (powl), or potentially from place names like Powhill in Cumberland.

Powell Last Name Origin in America:

Powells were among the earliest settlers in America. The first Powell arrivals, whether from England or Wales, came mainly into Virginia in the early colonial era. Among the notable early settlers were Anthony Powell, the military commander of Sir Walter Raleigh’s colonists who landed at Roanoke Island in 1583, one of the earliest English attempts at settlement in America. Additionally, Edward and Wenefrid Powell, believed to be husband and wife, were part of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. John Powell, a tailor, was among the first supply colonists in Jamestown in January 1608.

Nathaniel Powell briefly served as governor of the colony of Virginia in 1618. William Powell was an early Virginia colonist, landowner, militia officer, and legislator. He was one of two representatives from what became James City County, Virginia in the first Virginia House of Burgesses in 1619. His former plantation, now across the James River in Surry County, Virginia, is now within Chippokes State Park.

Walter Powell arrived in Maryland from Wales and was well-connected. His great-grandson Leven Powell was a neighbor of George Washington, fought in the Revolutionary War, and became an early developer of settlements in Kentucky.

Many Powells subsequently moved westward or southward from Virginia, settling in places like North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and other southern states. Some accounts even mention Powells migrating from Arkansas to Hood County, Texas in the 1850s.

Powell Surname Geography

The Powell surname currently ranks as the 1,293rd most common last name in the world and can be found in more than 160 countries. It’s estimated that over 415,000 people bear the last name Powell.

There are about 275,000 people with the last name Powell in the United States, where it is most prevalent. The distribution within the country shows the most Powells in California (7%), Florida (6%), and Georgia (6%).

Outside the United States, about 14% of all Powells live in England. The last name is also popular in Australia, Jamaica, Canada, and Wales.

Places Named Powell

There are 20 places named Powell in the United States:

• Powell, Alabama
• Powell, Arizona
• Powell, Arkansas
• Powell, Florida
• Powell, Georgia
• Powell, Louisiana
• Powell, Mississippi
• Powell, Missouri
• Powell, Nebraska
• Powell, North Dakota
• Powell, Ohio
• Powell, Oklahoma
• Powell, Pennsylvania
• Powell, South Dakota
• Powell, Tennessee
• Powell, Texas
• Powell, Washington
• Powell, West Virginia
• Powell, Wisconsin
• Powell, Wyoming

Powell DNA Project

The Powell Surname DNA Project is a chromosome testing project hosted by FamilyTreeDNA. The project’s main goal is to allow Powell descendants from all over the world a chance to come together and try to determine who their common Powell ancestors were. Samples submitted for this project must be provided by males, with the Powell surname, as this project is based on the Y-Chromosome which is passed from father to son. There are currently 722 participants.

Powell Ancestry Resources

1. The general armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales: Comprising a registry of armorial bearings from the earliest to the present time. London: Harrison.
2. Powell, Charles S. History and Genealogies of the Powells in America. 1935. Internet Archive.
3. Lucas, S. Emmett. The Powell Family of Norfolk and Elizabeth City Counties, Virginia, and Their Descendants. 1961. Internet Archive.
4. Powell, William P. Some Descendants of the Connecticut and Massachusetts Branch of the Powell Family. Springfield, Mass., The Pond-Ekberg Co., printers, 1931. Internet Archive.
5. Morris, Richard. The Powells in Essex and Their London Ancestors. Loughton, Loughton and District Historical Society, 2002. Internet Archive. [Free registration required to view].
6. Lucas, S. Emmett, Jr. The Powell Families of Virginia and the South. 2015 ed., 1969. ISBN 9780893080273.