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Howells Family History

Howells Surname Meaning

English and Welsh (Glamorgan): variant of Howell with genitival or post-medieval excrescent English -s. English: perhaps occasionally a nickname for someone who was fearless from Middle English houe houwe ‘anxiety fear’ (Old English hogu or hoga) + les ‘less’.

If this has survived as a modern surname its pronunciation has been influenced by that of the name in 1 above. English: variant of Holes.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Howells family from?

You can see how Howells families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Howells family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Howells families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 3,232 Howells families living in Glamorgan. This was about 28% of all the recorded Howells's in United Kingdom. Glamorgan had the highest population of Howells families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Howells surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Howells ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Howells. 8% of Howells men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Howells women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Howells were Coal Hewer and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Howells | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Colliery Hewer
    6%
  • Farmer
    6%
  • Coal Hewer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Household Duties
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Howells family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 95,000 census records available for the last name Howells. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Howells census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Howells

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Howells. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Howells immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Howells. For the veterans among your Howells ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Howells military records

You've only scratched the surface of Howells family history

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What is the average Howells lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Howells life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Howells in 1952 was 40, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Howells

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Howells ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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