Surname Yowell - Meaning and Origin
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Yowell: What does the surname Yowell mean?
The last name Yowell is of English origin and is a locational name derived from Yowell, which is believed to be located in the county of Oxfordshire. It is thought to mean "yew tree spring". The name indicates that the ancestors of the original Yowell family lived near a spring or source of water, which was near a yew tree or grove of yew trees.
The name Yowell first appears in historic records in the early 14th century. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "Yowlee", and over the centuries, the spelling has evolved from "Yeole" and "Yeoll". Variants of the surname include Yule, Yool, Yoll, and Yoller.
The Yowell family has a long history of being an educated and respected family. Some members of this family were landowners, and some were prominent authors and public figures. They included James Yowell, MLA, Governor of Maine during the Revolutionary War, and multiple members of the English Parliament.
The Yowell family today is scattered around the world, although the largest numbers are still located in the countries of their origin, England, Scotland and Ireland. The Yowell name is still commonly found in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Order DNA origin analysisYowell: Where does the name Yowell come from?
The surname Yowell is a relatively uncommon last name found mainly in the United States. While the name is by no means rare, it is not a particularly widespread name either. As of the 2020 US Census, there were only 1,418 individuals with the Yowell surname, resulting in a rank of 16,828 among the most frequent surnames.
Yowell is particularly concentrated in:
-Virginia, where over half of all Yowell’s live with 678 individuals.
-West Virginia, with 211 individuals.
-Tennessee, with 153 individuals.
-South Carolina, with 61 individuals.
The remainder of the Yowells are spread across 25 states and the District of Columbia, with most living in the southeastern United States. However, 48 of the 1,418 Yowell’s live outside of the United States, primarily in Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and India.
Since Yowell is a relatively uncommon name, most members of this surname originally shared a common ancestor. This common ancestor is likely to be Edward Yowell, who emigrated from England to York County, Virginia by 1645. As such, the Yowell surname is believed to be of English origin.
While it warrants a brief mention that Yowell is a surname found in other countries, the main focus of this article is on Yowell in America. The Yowell surname is found in small numbers across the country, with most of the Yowell surname concentration residing in the southeastern United States.
Variations of the surname Yowell
Yowell is a surname of English origins and is usually found in the United States, Australia and England. The spelling and variants of the surname Yowell include Yowell, Yowel, Yowle, Yowall, Yowel, Yowill, Yeowell, Yowell, Yowells, Yowalles, Yowels, Yeowelles, Yeowells and Yowalle, and even Yodell and Yodle.
The spelling of the surname could also be related to the word “yokel”, a term for a rural or rustic person. This origin has been suggested by some sources, although there is no direct evidence of a link.
The majority of people with the Yowell surname trace their ancestry back to areas of England such as Yorkshire or Cornwall, although the surname can also be found in Wales and Scotland. In the early part of the 17th century, a few hundred Yowells first settled in Gloucestershire.
It has also been suggested that Yowell could be a variant of the Welsh surnames Uwell and Uwel or the Anglo-Saxon surnames Ewel and Ewell, although again there is no direct evidence of the link.
In the United States, people with the surname Yowell are descended from individuals who migrated from England in the 1600s, mostly to the East Coast, although the surname is now found in almost all 50 states.
In Australia, the surname Yowell is most common in Victoria and New South Wales. People with this surname are believed to have migrated to the country in the early 1800s.
Famous people with the name Yowell
- Todd Yowell: An American musician, songwriter, and producer famous for his success working with bands such as Third Eye Blind and The Killers.
- Jeff Yowell: An American Republican politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
- Emily Yowell: An American reality television star, who is known for competing in the 14th season of the hit show "The Bachelor."
- Dean Yowell: A former American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
- Janet Yowell: An American politician who served on the Oregon State Senate.
- Mike Yowell: An American entrepreneur, writer, and investor known for his involvement in the mobile payments landscape.
- Kris Yowell: An American former professional golfer who's career spanned four decades.
- Cheryl Yowell: An American professional diver and Olympic medalist.
- Justin Yowell: An American football player who played for the University of South Carolina and in the NFL.
- Margaret Yowell: An American entertainer, talk show host, and philanthropist.