BOWELL
Bowell is a surname of English origin, whose earliest attestations appear in the medieval records of the British Isles.
The name is first recorded in the mid‑thirteenth century as Ralph de Bueles in the Feet of Fines of Essex, dated 1249, and appears subsequently as Henry le Bowel in the Hundred Rolls of Kent, 1273, and as Walter de Bowell in the Hundred Rolls of Hertfordshire, 1275. These entries demonstrate the name’s presence within the English legal and administrative framework during the reign of King Henry the First.
According to the Oxford Dictionary of Family Names, the surname is derived from the Old English word boga, meaning “bow” or “archery.” It is therefore classed as an occupational surname, and may have been bestowed upon an archer or a bowman, or upon a bowmaker, or it may have functioned as a nickname for someone exhibiting the skill associated with this craft.
In addition to the Anglo‑English derivation, the surname is identified as having an Anglo‑Norman origin. It is a locational name originating from Bouelles in the Seine‑Maritime département of France. The name is linked to the Old Norman French word boelle, meaning “enclosure” or “dwelling.” This connection is evidenced by the various forms that have been recorded in England, including Bowell, Bowel, Bowle and Bowles.
Further evidence of the surname’s antiquity is found in London parish registers. For example, Rooffe Bowell was christened on 24 February 1555 at St. Antholin, Budge Row; Thomas Bowell married Katheryn Webbe on 29 October 1569 at St. Stephen’s, Coleman Street; and Elyzabethe Bowell, daughter of Thomas Bowell, was christened on 16 July 1570 at the same church. These entries illustrate the surname’s continued use into the sixteenth century.
The surname has also been associated with a Welsh element, arising from the patronymic of the given name Howell, which itself derives from the personal name Hywel meaning “the Eminent one.” This Welsh derivation reflects the practice of merging the patronymic element ap (or ab) with the personal name, and it is attested in the medieval period. While this origin is plausible, the prevailing evidence in England points to the Old English and Anglo‑Norman roots as primary.
In contemporary usage the surname remains in use, most commonly within the United Kingdom, and its spelling is generally preserved in the form Bowell. It is recognised as a surname of historical significance, with documented presence in official and religious records spanning from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century.
Typical given names associated with the Bowell surname
Male
- Alan
- Alvin
- Colin
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Peter
- Richard
- Stephen
Female
- Emma
- Gay
- Helen
- Julie
- Margaret
- Maureen
- Natalie
- Patricia
- Pauline
- Ruth
- Sarah
- Susan
- Wendy
- Yvonne
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Bowell in...
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There are approximately 789 people named Bowell in the UK. That makes it roughly the 8,873rd most common surname in Britain. Around 12 in a million people in Britain are named Bowell.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Bowell
- Mackenzie Bowell - 5th Prime Minister of Canada (1823 to 1917)
- Alex Bowell - Cricketer (1880 to 1957)
- Norman Bowell - Cricketer (1904 to 1943)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.