Surname Ewell - Meaning and Origin
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Ewell: What does the surname Ewell mean?
The last name Ewell is of English origin and is believed to be derived from the Old English words ea (meaning stream) and wella (meaning spring or fountain). The surname most likely originated as a topographic name, referring to a person who lived or worked near a stream or spring. It is believed that the name is derived from the Old English word for a spring or fountain,“wella.”
The Ewell surname can be found dating back to at least the early 12th century in England. The earliest recorded reference of the surname is of William de Ewelle, who was found in the Pipe Rolls of Surrey, England, in 1130.
The Ewell surname is most commonly found in England today and has begun to branch out to other countries over the years. The number of individuals with this surname is believed to range from 439 to nearly 26,000. The name is also believed to have variations including Ewells, Ewel, Ewels, Yowell, and Yowles.
The name Ewell may have historically had multiple meanings, the most likely being tied to living or working near a stream or fountain. Over the years, the surname has spread across multiple countries, and its meaning may have changed slightly over time. Regardless of the variations in meaning, the Ewell surname is one that is steeped in history and is recognized around the world.
Order DNA origin analysisEwell: Where does the name Ewell come from?
The last name Ewell is most commonly found in southeastern parts of the United States, particularly in the states of Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. It is believed to have originated as an Anglo-Saxon name, coming from the place names Ewell and Ewells in Surrey, England.
In the United States, the name Ewell has been traced back to the colonial period in Virginia and North Carolina. The first known Ewell in America was a man named Joseph Ewell who was born in Virginia in 1663. Ewell also became popular in the 1830s and 1840s as many of the former slaves adopted the name as their own, likely because of its sound.
Today, census records show that the surname Ewell remains most popular in the southeastern United States. According to the 2019 census, Louisiana had the highest prevalence of the surname with 9,667 people, followed by Georgia with 8,527 people, Alabama with 7,068 people, and Mississippi with 6,210 people. Overall, the last name is among the top 4,209 most common surnames in the United States.
Variations of the surname Ewell
Ewell is a surname that is believed to have multiple origin points. According to a Scrabble dictionary, some variants of the Ewell surname includes "Ewel, Ewelle, Eel, Eele, Eeill, Eall, Ealle, Eallle, and Elle".
The Ewell surname has some alternate spellings, such as "Yule, Yewle, Yewell, Youall, Youell, Youalle, Yaule, Yaull, Yaule, and Yealle". It can also be found as the French spelling "Ewel" or the German spelling "Euel".
The Ewell surname is said to have multiple ancestor points, with some suggesting a French origin as "de Uel", which translates to "Ewel" or "of Uel"; while others speculate a Scottish-Norman origin as "de Ewelle", or "of Ewell". The surname could also stem from an English origin, from any of the various place-names such as "Ewell, Ewell Chace, Ewell Minnis, or Ewell Minster".
Surnames derived from the Ewell surname include "Eweller, Yowler, Yowell, Yauller, Yawl, and Yowell".
Overall, the Ewell surname has numerous forms of spelling and variants, along with an array of surnames that relate back to this particular historical name.
Famous people with the name Ewell
- Tom Ewell: American actor who won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in 1960 for his role in “The Apartment”.
- Brad Ewell: American football offensive and defensive lineman who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1976 to 1981.
- S. Ewell: author whose works have been published in various anthologies since the late 1960s.
- Pastor J.A. Ewell: founder of the International Communion of Apostolic Pentecostal Church, which is now the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world.
- Rufus Ewell: an African American composer, arranger and pianist who was active in the jazz scene from the 1940s to the 1980s.
- Chief William Ewell: important leader of the Pamunkey Tribe of Virginia and served as the first Speaker of the Tsenacommacah Council, a representative assembly of Native Americans in Virginia which was established by the English colonial government in 1683.
- Edwin Ewell: brigadier general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War who had a decisive role in the Battle of Belle Grove.
- Bob Ewell: fictional character from the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee.
- John Ewell: American theater director and actor who appeared in over thirty Broadway productions between 1945 and 1971.
- Dr. Eugene Ewell: American physician who founded the Dunedin Medical Group Practice in Dunedin, FL and the first person to bring professional medical care to association residents in the mid-1960s.