POWERS
Powers is a surname associated with the British Isles and carries origins that span English, French, Gaelic and Irish linguistic traditions. The name is attested in early English parish records, medieval legal instruments and the annals of Norman and Irish annalists, indicating a long-standing presence throughout the region.
In the English and continental context, Powers derives from the Middle‑English and Old‑French word povoir, which means “to be able” or “to have power.” As a surname, it most plausibly arose as a nickname for a person noted for his influence or authority, or as an occupational title for a figure occupying a position of power within a local community.
The Irish form of the name is often seen as an anglicised rendering of the Gaelic Mac an Phoitéir, literally “son of the potter.” This linguistic transition is consistent with the broader pattern of Gaelic surnames being adapted to English orthography in the late medieval period. The name also appears among the descendants of Norman settlers in Ireland, where it was originally recorded as de Paor before becoming fully Hibernicised as Power.
Another avenue of origin lies in a locational derivation from the Old‑French place name Pohier, a town in Picardy, northern France. The name was brought to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 and entered Irish society in 1170 through the participation of a bearer named le Poer in Strongbow’s invasion of Wexford. During the early medieval period, variations of the name appear in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, such as le Poer, le Power, and simply Power, as well as among ecclesiastical figures such as Richard le Poor, who held the bishoprics of Chichester, Salisbury and Durham in the early 13th century.
The earliest confirmed documentary evidence for a family bearing this surname is the citation of Drogo Poher in the “Ancient Charters of Gloucestershire” dated 1127, during the reign of King Henry I. Subsequent heraldic records include a grant of arms for the Poore family of Oxfordshire, described as a silver shield with three black bars nebulee and a gold bend. These historical attestations underscore the surname’s long and varied presence across the English and Irish lands.
Typical given names associated with the Powers surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- Gary
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Ann
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Janet
- Joan
- Kathleen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
- Pairs
- Pares
- Parres
- Parrs
- Pars
- Pawe
- Pawes
- Pear
- Peare
- Peares
- Pears
- Peer
- Peere
- Peers
- Peir
- Peire
- Peires
- Peirs
- Per
- Pere
- Peres
- Perr
- Perres
- Perrs
- Pers
- Perz
- Peyre
- Pier
- Piere
- Pieres
- Pierres
- Piers
- Pierz
- Pires
- Poar
- Poor
- Poors
- Por
- Poras
- Pore
- Poree
- Poris
- Porks
- Poros
- Porr
- Porres
- Pors
- Porsz
- Pour
- Pouris
- Pouros
- Pours
- Powars
- Power
- Pures
- Purres
- Purs
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Powers in...
Braille
⠏⠕⠺⠑⠗⠎
Morse
.--.---.--..-....
Semaphore
There are approximately 2,576 people named Powers in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,434th most common surname in Britain. Around 40 in a million people in Britain are named Powers.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Powers
- Stefanie Powers - Actress, singer, equestrienne, animal rights activist
- Natalie Powers - Singer
- Colin Powers - Boxer
- Anthony Powers - Composer
- Gladys Powers - Centenarian (1899 to 2008)
- John Powers - Cricketer (1868 to 1939)
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.