ROWELL
Rowell is an English surname of locational origin, first recorded in the latter half of the thirteenth century. It is traditionally associated with the British Isles, particularly England, and is borne by individuals who have been described as Christian.
The name is derived from Old English elements. The component ruh means “rough” or “rugged”, while well or wella denotes a “spring” or “stream”. Consequently, the surname originally identified a person who lived near a rough or rugged spring or stream. In Devonshire the place name Rowell is formed from the pre‑seventh‑century Old English ruh plus hyll (hill), and elsewhere the name is linked to Rothwell, a variant place name in Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and the North Riding of Yorkshire composed of the elements roth (clearing) and wella (spring).
The earliest confirmed spelling is Letitia de Rowelle, dated 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, during the reign of King Edward I (1272‑1307). This provides documentary evidence for the name being in use by that time.
Another line of scholarship suggests that Rowell may trace back to the Old Norse personal name Rouf, meaning “Raven‑Wolf”. The term was adopted into Old English as Rouf or Roul and later evolved into variants such as Rowell, Rowle and Roul. The association with raven and wolf, both significant in Norse mythology, could reflect perceived character traits such as cunning or power.
In contemporary times, the surname remains relatively uncommon but is still widely distributed. In the United Kingdom, it ranks the six‑teenth most common surname. It figures as the 373rd most common name in Australia. Within the United States, it is most prevalent in the southeastern region, especially in Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It also appears with notable frequency in California, Texas and New York, where the combined total accounts for over fifteen percent of all American bearers of the name. The surname is also found in medium and large cities across the United States, such as Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas and Charlotte.
Spelling variants of the surname include Rowall, Rowl, Rowellen, Rowle and in Scotland the form Rowan derives from the Gaelic Ruadh (“red” or “red‑haired”). In Ireland the name appears in a French form similar to Roall as early as 1594, with variants such as Rolle, Ruddell, Rudwell and Rollinson.
Typical given names associated with the Rowell surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Peter
- Stephen
- William
Female
- Amanda
- Carol
- Elizabeth
- Jane
- Joanne
- Karen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
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 Rowell in...
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There are approximately 4,111 people named Rowell in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,264th most common surname in Britain. Around 63 in a million people in Britain are named Rowell.
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 Rowell
- Rosie Rowell - Actress
- Peter Rowell - Radio and television presenter and convicted criminal
- Gary Rowell - Football player
- Sarah Rowell - Athlete
- Bob Rowell - Rugby union player
- Geoffrey Rowell - Bishop in Europe; Bishop of Basingstoke; British Anglican bishop (1943 to 2017)
- Mark Rowell - Cricketer
- James Rowell - Australian politician, soldier and horticulturalist (1851 to 1941)
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.