NameCensus.

UK surname

Rowell

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "spring near a row of hedges or trees."

In the 1881 census there were 2,613 people recorded with the Rowell surname, ranking it #1,706 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,986, ranked #2,257, down from #1,706 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Huntingdonshire, Northumberland and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rowell is 3,796 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.3%.

1881 census count

2,613

Ranked #1,706

Modern count

2,986

2016, ranked #2,257

Peak year

1911

3,796 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rowell had 2,613 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,706 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,986 in 2016, ranked #2,257.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,796 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rowell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rowell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rowell 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 1,696 #1,701
1861 historical 1,934 #1,507
1881 historical 2,613 #1,706
1891 historical 3,098 #1,518
1901 historical 3,317 #1,684
1911 historical 3,796 #1,363
1997 modern 3,228 #1,994
1998 modern 3,327 #2,011
1999 modern 3,305 #2,051
2000 modern 3,299 #2,040
2001 modern 3,202 #2,058
2002 modern 3,224 #2,085
2003 modern 3,144 #2,087
2004 modern 3,179 #2,063
2005 modern 3,109 #2,074
2006 modern 3,056 #2,122
2007 modern 3,046 #2,150
2008 modern 3,025 #2,172
2009 modern 3,101 #2,177
2010 modern 3,198 #2,164
2011 modern 3,126 #2,182
2012 modern 3,012 #2,216
2013 modern 3,063 #2,214
2014 modern 3,078 #2,222
2015 modern 3,003 #2,255
2016 modern 2,986 #2,257

Geography

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Where Rowells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Herriard and Ilsington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Huntingdonshire, Northumberland, County Durham and Gateshead. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Herriard Hampshire
5 Ilsington Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Huntingdonshire 006 Huntingdonshire
2 Northumberland 038 Northumberland
3 County Durham 034 County Durham
4 Northumberland 020 Northumberland
5 Gateshead 002 Gateshead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rowell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rowell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rowell, 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 Rowell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rowell 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, Rowell 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

Rowell is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rowell 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 Rowell 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 Rowell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rowell

The surname Rowell originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "row" or "ra," meaning a row or line, and "well" or "welle," meaning a spring or stream. Thus, Rowell likely referred to someone who lived near a row of springs or a stream.

During the Middle Ages, the name was found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, one of the earliest records of the name, it appears as "de la Rouwelle" and "de Rowelle," indicating its early spelling variations.

The Rowell surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Rowel in Derbyshire and Rowel Green in Worcestershire. These locations may have influenced the name's spelling and distribution.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Rowell was John Rowell, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230. Another early record comes from the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which list a Robert Rowell.

Notable individuals with the Rowell surname include:

1. William Rowell (c. 1520 - c. 1590), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Malmesbury during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. Samuel Rowell (1652 - 1718), an English Puritan minister and writer who served as the vicar of Stratton in Wiltshire.

3. John Rowell (1677 - 1758), an English architect who designed several churches in London, including St. Mary Woolnoth and St. Mary Abchurch.

4. Benjamin Rowell (1757 - 1842), an American soldier who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

5. Joseph Rowell (1805 - 1888), an American politician and lawyer who served as a Representative from New Hampshire in the United States Congress.

While the Rowell surname has undergone various spelling changes throughout history, such as Rowel, Rouell, and Rowelle, it has maintained its English origins and associations with place names and occupations related to streams or springs.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rowell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rowell 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. Durham leads with 523 Rowells recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.89x.

County Total Index
Durham 523 6.89x
Northumberland 382 10.06x
Cambridgeshire 193 11.95x
Middlesex 168 0.66x
Hampshire 158 3.02x
Yorkshire 122 0.48x
Huntingdonshire 116 22.90x
Devon 114 2.15x
Surrey 110 0.89x
Northamptonshire 102 4.25x
Leicestershire 101 3.57x
Lancashire 74 0.24x
Lincolnshire 56 1.37x
Kent 48 0.55x
Norfolk 39 0.99x
Cornwall 34 1.18x
Oxfordshire 28 1.78x
Nottinghamshire 24 0.70x
Sussex 24 0.56x
Rutland 19 10.14x
Cumberland 15 0.68x
Warwickshire 14 0.22x
Buckinghamshire 13 0.84x
Derbyshire 13 0.33x
Essex 13 0.26x
Berkshire 12 0.63x
Angus 11 0.47x
Bedfordshire 11 0.83x
Cheshire 11 0.20x
Aberdeenshire 9 0.38x
Lanarkshire 9 0.11x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.56x
Glamorgan 6 0.14x
Fife 5 0.33x
Suffolk 5 0.16x
Gloucestershire 4 0.08x
Hertfordshire 4 0.23x
Westmorland 4 0.71x
Dunbartonshire 3 0.44x
Somerset 3 0.07x
Midlothian 2 0.06x
Worcestershire 2 0.06x
Dorset 1 0.06x
Perthshire 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 0.33x
Staffordshire 1 0.01x
Wiltshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Herriard in Hampshire leads with 54 Rowells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1521.13x.

Place Total Index
Herriard 54 1521.13x
Elswick 51 16.84x
Gateshead 48 8.45x
Bishopwearmouth 47 7.22x
Darlington 35 11.95x
Ilsington 32 344.83x
Monkwearmouth Shore 31 20.93x
Peterborough 31 17.85x
Allendale 28 79.57x
Newcastle On Tyne St 27 13.72x
Westgate 27 11.49x
Whittlesey St Mary St 27 47.85x
St Ive 25 134.99x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 24 10.59x
Bermondsey 23 3.03x
Lamesley 23 56.30x
Stockton On Tees 23 6.29x
Tanfield 23 25.49x
Lewisham 22 4.74x
Littleport 21 68.03x
Chatteris 19 46.09x
Cottenham 19 88.50x
Islington London 19 0.77x
Prudhoe 19 71.94x
Ramsey 19 46.86x
Southery 19 183.40x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 18 5.48x
Shoreditch London 18 1.63x
Stanhope 18 22.97x
Woodstone 18 225.00x
Yaxley 18 151.90x
Wall 17 488.51x
Belgrave 16 25.07x
Brigstock 16 175.63x
Odiham 16 69.72x
Cowpen 15 17.16x
Leicester St Margaret 15 2.17x
Sawtry St Andrew 15 467.29x
Seaham 15 54.23x
St George In East 15 8.65x
Bedlington 14 11.05x
Coundon Grange 14 84.08x
Escomb 14 40.14x
Hexham 14 23.83x
Jesmond 14 26.22x
Melton Mowbray 14 27.53x
St Pancras London 14 0.68x
Haddenham 13 85.58x
Linthorpe 13 8.62x
Mile End Old Town 13 3.23x
Oxford St Giles 13 17.30x
Paddington London 13 1.39x
Thringstone 13 120.26x
Barrow In Furness 12 2.91x
Camberwell 12 0.74x
Kimblesworth 12 118.11x
Leeds 12 0.84x
Middlesbrough 12 3.65x
Newburn 12 110.60x
Warden 12 154.84x
Westoe 12 2.79x
Chesterton 11 22.08x
Downham 11 64.07x
Edmondsley 11 135.47x
Haddon 11 901.64x
Heworth 11 7.36x
Houghton Le Spring 11 20.97x
Newborough 11 179.74x
Newington 11 1.17x
Portsea 11 1.07x
St George Hanover 11 3.30x
Standground 11 95.74x
Caldewgate 10 8.31x
North Bedburn 10 47.15x
Rotherhithe 10 3.17x
Southwark Christchurch 10 8.37x
Spalding 10 12.35x
Sunderland 10 7.46x
Sutton 10 9.85x
Wisbech St Peter 10 12.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 210
Elizabeth 104
Sarah 77
Jane 75
Ann 64
Annie 44
Margaret 38
Emma 35
Ellen 31
Eliza 30
Isabella 30
Hannah 29
Frances 18
Martha 18
Alice 17
Emily 17
Harriet 16
Kate 16
Catherine 15
Charlotte 14
Fanny 14
Florence 12
Susan 12
Edith 11
Louisa 11
Rebecca 11
Harriett 10
Jessie 10
Amelia 9
Caroline 9
Clara 9
Maria 9
Eleanor 8
Dorothy 7
Ada 6
Anna 6
Anne 6
Ethel 6
Lucy 6
Lydia 6
Minnie 6
Rachel 6
Rose 6
Susannah 6
Agnes 5
Barbara 5
Bertha 5
Maud 5
Elizth. 3
Matilda 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 194
William 170
George 109
Thomas 107
James 71
Robert 71
Joseph 67
Henry 47
Charles 42
Edward 39
Richard 27
Arthur 23
Alfred 21
Francis 13
Matthew 12
Harry 11
Samuel 10
Frederick 9
Albert 8
Frank 7
Walter 7
Herbert 6
Ralph 6
Thos. 6
Wm. 6
Benjamin 5
Michael 5
Tom 5
Wilkinson 5
Ernest 4
Geo. 4
Hugh 4
Leonard 4
Stephen 4
David 3
Fred. 3
Jabez 3
Jacob 3
Jonathan 3
Josiah 3
Nicholas 3
Sidney 3
Andrew 2
Chas.W. 2
Cuthbert 2
Philip 2
Phillip 2
Reginald 2
Robt. 2
Roland 2

FAQ

Rowell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rowell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,613 people were recorded with the Rowell surname. That placed it at #1,706 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rowell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,986 in 2016. That gives Rowell a modern rank of #2,257.

What does the Rowell surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "spring near a row of hedges or trees."

What does the Rowell map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rowell 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.