Meaning and origin
The last name Powell has its origins in the British Isles, particularly in Wales.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
Similar spellings
#101
Powell was the 101st most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 224,874 people, about 76 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Powell
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Powell is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.