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Howell Family History

Howell Name Meaning

Welsh and English: in the Welsh border counties from the Welsh male personal name Hywel ‘eminent’ popular since the Middle Ages particularly in honor of the great 10th-century law-giving Welsh king. The name may also arise from the Breton personal name Houuel Huwel Huwal Howael cognate with the Welsh name. Bretons were especially numerous in the eastern counties of England. See Powell . English: perhaps from a Middle English personal name Huwel (spelled Howel) a shortening of Huwelot or Huelin (see Hewlett and Huling ) both pet forms of Middle English Huw (see Hugh ). English: habitational name from Howell (Lincolnshire) from an uncertain initial element + Old English wella ‘well spring stream’.

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


Similar surnames: Powell, Rowell, Bowell, Cowell, Showell, Mowell, Hoell, Sewell

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Where is the Howell family from?

You can see how Howell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Howell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Howell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2,177 Howell families living in London. This was about 16% of all the recorded Howell's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Howell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell. 8% of Howell men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Howell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Howell were Farmer and Private Means. .

View Census Data for Howell | 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%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Farmer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Howell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 691,000 census records available for the last name Howell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Howell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Howell

Passenger Lists

There are 70,000 immigration records available for the last name Howell. 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 Howell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 123,000 military records available for the last name Howell. For the veterans among your Howell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Howell lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Howell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Howell in 1940 was 44, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Howell

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