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Origins of the Powell surname

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What does the name Powell mean?

Powell is a surname found often in England, but with very deep Welsh roots (it is still found often across Wales and the English border regions). Powell comes from the patronymic tradition of Wales, and refers to someone who is the son or descendant of Hywell or Howell. The Welsh prefix 'ap' was used to mean son of, and 'ap Hywell' quickly became 'Powell'.

Alternative variations of the name Powell

Powell, Powel, Pawell, Howell, Howel

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Where do most Powells live?

In 1921, most Powells lived in South West.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Powells

How common is your surname?

82nd most common surname in the UK

We have 394,000 records for the Powell surname. The oldest one dates back to 1539.

Who were Powells most likely to marry?

Joneses

&

Smiths

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Powells.

What are the most common Powell first names?

  • William
  • John
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Powell family members

Common jobs for Powells

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Powells in 1921
Dressmaker

1,663

Laundress

1,155

General Servant Domestic

1,003

Domestic Servant

992

General Servant

804

Common Male occupations for Powells in 1921
Coal Miner

2,387

Farmer

1,747

Agricultural Labourer

1,618

General Labourer

1,391

Coal Miner Hewer

1,139

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We found over 320,000 family trees with the Powell surname

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