NameCensus.

UK surname

Powell

From the Welsh ap Hywel, meaning "son of Hywel," with Hywel meaning "eminent" or "remarkable."

In the 1881 census there were 37,321 people recorded with the Powell surname, ranking it #81 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 53,870, ranked #86, down from #81 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Powys, Forest of Dean and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Powell is 56,286 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.3%.

1881 census count

37,321

Ranked #81

Modern count

53,870

2016, ranked #86

Peak year

1999

56,286 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Powell had 37,321 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #81 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 53,870 in 2016, ranked #86.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 50,685 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Powell surname distribution map

The map shows where the Powell surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Powell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Powell over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 25,054 #80
1861 historical 25,623 #80
1881 historical 37,321 #81
1891 historical 39,714 #81
1901 historical 46,705 #83
1911 historical 50,685 #70
1997 modern 53,833 #80
1998 modern 56,075 #80
1999 modern 56,286 #80
2000 modern 55,714 #80
2001 modern 54,312 #80
2002 modern 55,544 #80
2003 modern 54,113 #81
2004 modern 54,004 #81
2005 modern 53,008 #82
2006 modern 53,108 #84
2007 modern 53,547 #85
2008 modern 53,698 #86
2009 modern 55,055 #86
2010 modern 56,004 #86
2011 modern 55,149 #86
2012 modern 53,748 #86
2013 modern 54,800 #86
2014 modern 55,030 #86
2015 modern 54,408 #86
2016 modern 53,870 #86

Geography

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Where Powells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Merthyr Tydfil. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Powys, Forest of Dean and Caerphilly. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Powys 012 Powys
2 Forest of Dean 007 Forest of Dean
3 Caerphilly 001 Caerphilly
4 Powys 015 Powys
5 Powys 011 Powys

Forenames

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First names often paired with Powell

These lists show first names that appear often with the Powell surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Powell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Powell, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Powell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Powell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Powell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Powell is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Powell falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Powell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Powell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Powell

The surname Powell is believed to have originated in Wales, deriving from the Old Welsh words 'ap' and 'Howel', which together mean 'son of Howel'. Howel was a popular Welsh name derived from the Latin name 'Hywel', meaning 'outstanding boy'. The name is thought to have first emerged in the 12th century.

Powell is considered a patronymic name, meaning it originally identified the bearer as the son of someone named Howel. Over time, the prefix 'ap' was dropped, and the name evolved into its current form, Powell. In the 13th century, the name appeared in records as 'Ap Howel' and 'Ap Howell'.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Powell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as 'Apohowel'. This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 14th century, the name was recorded as 'Poel' and 'Poell' in various records, reflecting the evolution of its spelling. By the 16th century, the spelling had stabilized to its current form, 'Powell'.

Notable historical figures with the surname Powell include Sir John Powell (1572-1645), a Welsh soldier and Member of Parliament during the English Civil War, and Sir William Powell (1598-1662), a Welsh judge and politician who served as Speaker of the House of Commons.

Other notable individuals bearing the surname include William Dempster Powell (1772-1854), a Scottish explorer and surveyor, and Lewis Powell (1844-1865), a Confederate soldier and one of the conspirators in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Anthony Powell (1905-2000) was a renowned English novelist, best known for his 12-novel sequence 'A Dance to the Music of Time'.

The surname Powell has also been associated with various place names in Wales, such as Powellton and Powellsville, reflecting the name's Welsh origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Powell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Powell surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 3,369 Powells recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.92x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 3,369 0.92x
Glamorgan 2,898 4.57x
Lancashire 2,181 0.50x
Monmouthshire 2,155 8.18x
Gloucestershire 2,116 2.96x
Staffordshire 2,100 1.71x
Surrey 2,028 1.14x
Herefordshire 2,026 13.56x
Yorkshire 1,934 0.54x
Brecknockshire 1,599 21.94x
Warwickshire 1,539 1.67x
Shropshire 1,513 4.81x
Worcestershire 1,308 2.75x
Kent 860 0.69x
Cheshire 773 0.96x
Hampshire 748 1.00x
Radnorshire 509 17.31x
Sussex 462 0.75x
Denbighshire 442 3.21x
Durham 402 0.37x
Somerset 378 0.64x
Wiltshire 373 1.16x
Carmarthenshire 364 2.37x
Essex 350 0.49x
Flintshire 343 3.50x
Oxfordshire 323 1.44x
Berkshire 321 1.17x
Pembrokeshire 298 2.57x
Devon 279 0.37x
Nottinghamshire 265 0.54x
Derbyshire 254 0.45x
Dorset 248 1.04x
Norfolk 228 0.41x
Montgomeryshire 226 2.71x
Northamptonshire 196 0.57x
Suffolk 189 0.43x
Leicestershire 184 0.46x
Cornwall 177 0.43x
Cardiganshire 161 1.81x
Buckinghamshire 153 0.69x
Lincolnshire 143 0.25x
Hertfordshire 138 0.55x
Cambridgeshire 134 0.58x
Bedfordshire 96 0.51x
Lanarkshire 76 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 69 0.47x
Merionethshire 60 0.90x
Northumberland 59 0.11x
Midlothian 51 0.10x
Ayrshire 40 0.15x
Anglesey 32 0.50x
Royal Navy 32 0.74x
Renfrewshire 26 0.09x
Angus 25 0.07x
Channel Islands 20 0.19x
Cumberland 20 0.06x
Huntingdonshire 11 0.15x
Argyllshire 10 0.10x
Isle of Man 10 0.15x
Stirlingshire 8 0.06x
Rutland 5 0.19x
Selkirkshire 5 0.15x
West Lothian 5 0.09x
Dunbartonshire 3 0.03x
Westmorland 3 0.04x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.04x
Wigtownshire 2 0.04x
Perthshire 1 0.01x
Ross-shire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 582 Powells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.90x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 582 1.90x
Aston 535 2.11x
Merthyr Tydfil 488 8.00x
Lambeth 475 1.49x
Ystradyfodwg 393 7.06x
Islington London 382 1.08x
Bedwellty 346 7.44x
St Pancras London 314 1.07x
Camberwell 291 1.25x
West Bromwich 263 3.73x
Trevethin 262 10.53x
Aberdare 248 5.69x
Kensington London 206 1.02x
Liverpool 201 0.77x
Wolverhampton 200 2.11x
Aberystruth 188 8.10x
Llanwonno 183 8.03x
St Marylebone London 182 0.94x
Newington 181 1.34x
Paddington London 180 1.34x
Battersea 176 1.31x
Toxteth Park 173 1.18x
Hackney London 164 0.80x
Everton 162 1.18x
Shoreditch London 161 1.02x
West Dean 155 13.35x
Leeds 153 0.75x
Stoke Upon Trent 153 1.17x
Bermondsey 148 1.36x
Walsall Foreign 142 2.23x
Ruabon 141 7.45x
Tipton 133 3.53x
Llanelly 131 15.02x
Abergavenny 130 13.18x
Cheltenham 127 2.30x
Manchester 120 0.62x
Sheffield 117 1.02x
Gelligaer 113 7.80x
Llanover 112 12.45x
Harborne 107 2.71x
Westbury On Severn East 107 6.62x
Swansea Town 106 2.04x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 104 1.55x
St Woollos 104 3.54x
Monmouth 103 14.74x
Lower Ystradgynlais 102 22.69x
Mile End Old Town 102 1.77x
Mangotsfield 100 14.04x
West Derby 100 0.79x
Chelsea London 99 0.90x
Portsea 99 0.68x
Bromley London 96 1.20x
Llanelly 95 2.75x
St George Hanover 94 1.98x
Deptford St Paul 91 0.95x
Dudley 90 1.56x
Kings Norton 88 2.06x
Pembroke St Mary 88 5.90x
Prees 87 22.69x
Hereford All Sts 84 12.27x
Llangattock 84 14.15x
Monks Coppenhall 84 2.77x
Brighton 83 0.67x
Southwark St George Martyr 82 1.12x
Cardiff St Mary 81 2.32x
Kingswinford 78 1.75x
Brecknock St John 76 12.37x
Clase 76 3.22x
Clerkenwell London 76 0.88x
Millbrook 76 4.04x
Oldbury 76 3.25x
Bedminster 73 1.32x
Dawley 73 6.37x
Salford 73 0.57x
Chester St Oswald 72 4.94x
Llanyre 72 82.45x
Sedgley 72 1.58x
Cardiff St John 70 3.38x
Tonbridge 70 1.56x
Southampton St Mary 69 1.47x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Powell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 2,720
Elizabeth 1,594
Sarah 1,346
Ann 898
Jane 759
Eliza 559
Margaret 515
Emma 514
Annie 505
Alice 474
Ellen 440
Emily 422
Hannah 364
Martha 317
Louisa 228
Catherine 225
Harriet 222
Fanny 216
Maria 216
Anne 215
Caroline 215
Florence 210
Charlotte 201
Edith 182
Ada 179
Clara 166
Agnes 140
Kate 140
Harriett 129
Frances 121
Lucy 116
Susan 112
Esther 88
Rose 88
Rachel 85
Amelia 81
Julia 80
Rebecca 80
Sophia 78
Matilda 77
Eleanor 75
Elizth. 72
Minnie 70
Isabella 69
Laura 67
Gertrude 60
Jessie 60
Susannah 58
Amy 56
Lizzie 55

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Powell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 2,386
John 2,191
Thomas 1,638
George 1,114
James 1,059
Charles 725
Henry 718
Joseph 500
Edward 497
David 468
Richard 383
Alfred 370
Arthur 318
Samuel 293
Frederick 278
Albert 244
Robert 244
Walter 222
Edwin 178
Harry 153
Benjamin 152
Wm. 138
Frank 134
Evan 132
Francis 122
Herbert 107
Ernest 106
Daniel 89
Thos. 89
Isaac 80
Howell 74
Rees 70
Morgan 60
Lewis 58
Stephen 48
Fred 47
Peter 46
Edmund 43
Fredrick 43
Phillip 42
Tom 40
Hugh 39
Chas. 35
Geo. 35
Sidney 35
Willm. 35
Philip 34
Edgar 33
Michael 30
Owen 25

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Powell households.

FAQ

Powell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Powell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 37,321 people were recorded with the Powell surname. That placed it at #81 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Powell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 53,870 in 2016. That gives Powell a modern rank of #86.

What does the Powell surname mean?

From the Welsh ap Hywel, meaning "son of Hywel," with Hywel meaning "eminent" or "remarkable."

What does the Powell map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Powell bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.