Howell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Howell

What does the name Howell mean?

The ancestors of the name Howell are thought to have lived among the ancient Britons, who inhabited in the hills and Moors of present day Wales. This particular surname was derived from the Welsh personal name Hoel, which was originally derived from the Old Welsh name Houel. This name was imported by Welsh settlers into the English counties bordering Wales; however, in the eastern English counties, the name was brought by Breton settlers. The Breton forms of the name were Houuel, Huwel, Huwal, and Howael.

Early Origins of the Howell family

The surname Howell was first found in Monmouthshire (Welsh: Sir Fynwy), where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

King Hoel, also known as Sir Howel, Saint Hywel and Hywel the Great, was a late 5th and early 6th-century member of the ruling dynasty of Cornouaille.

Vychan Howel that is, Howel the Little (d. 825), was a Welsh prince, said to have been son of Rhodri, a reputed descendant of Cunedda and King of Gwynedd, or North Wales. “But Rhodri died in 754, and nothing is heard of Howel or of his brother Cynan whom the tenth-century genealogy of Owain ab Howel Dda makes son of Rhodri, until over fifty years later. Possibly they were Rhodri’s grandsons, who emerge from obscurity when the downfall of the Mercian overlordship gave Welsh kings a better chance to attain to power. In 813 there was war between Howel and his brother Cynan, in which Howel conquered. It apparently arose from Cynan driving Howel out of Anglesey, and resulted in Howel’s restoration in 814. In 816 Howel was again expelled, but the Saxons invaded Snowdon and slew Cynan. This probably brought Howel back again. He died in 825. The name Vychan comes from a late authority.” 1

Dda Howel, that is, Howel the Good (d. 950), the most famous of the early Welsh kings, was the son of Cadell, the son of Rhodri Mawr, through whom his pedigree was traced by a tenth-century writer up to Cunedda and thence to ‘Anne, cousin of the Blessed Virgin.’ 1

Howel ab Ieuav, or Howel Ddrwg, that is, Howel The Bad (d. 984), the North Welsh prince, was the son of Ieuav, son of Idwal, who was imprisoned and deprived of his territory by his brother Iago about 969. 1

Howel ab Edwin (d. 1044), the South Welsh prince, was son of Edwin, son of Eineon, who was the son of Owain, the eldest son and successor of Howel Dda [q. v.] 1

Howell Spelling Variations

Although there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Howell has seen various spelling variations: Howell, Howel, Hawell, Howels, Howells, Hovell and many more.

Early Notables of the Howell family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

• Rt. Rev. Thomas Howell (1588-1650), Welsh Bishop of Bristol from 1644 to 1645, born in Llangamarch, Brecknockshire
• Francis Howell (1625-1679), Principal of Jesus College, Oxford from 1657 to 1660

Howell World Ranking

In the United Kingdom, the name Howell is the 361^st most popular surname with an estimated 17,373 people with that name. 2 However, in Australia, the name Howell is ranked the 404^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,137 people with that name. 3 And in New Zealand, the name Howell is the 523^rd popular surname with an estimated 1,320 people with that name. 4 Canada ranks Howell as 900^th with 5,968 people. 5 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Howell as 124^th with 291 people. 6 The United States ranks Howell as 219^th with 119,376 people. 7