Hewell
A name potentially derived from the Old English place name meaning "high hill".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Hewell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hewell today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hewell births was 1922 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hewell. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hewell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1922
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1925 SSA rank
#4,527
Tracked since 1922
Popularity
Hewell: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Hewell by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hewell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Hewell
The name Hewell is an intriguing one, its origins shrouded in mystery and antiquity. It is believed to have emerged from the ancient Germanic tribes that roamed the vast expanses of central and northern Europe during the early centuries of the Common Era.
This name's roots can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word "hew," which meant "to strike" or "to cut." It is thought that Hewell may have been bestowed upon individuals who possessed remarkable skills in metalworking, woodcarving, or other crafts involving cutting or shaping materials.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hewell comes from the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century manuscript containing fragments of a Gothic translation of the Bible. In this ancient text, a figure named Hewell is mentioned as a skilled artisan who crafted intricate religious artifacts.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Hewell appeared sporadically in various Germanic regions, often associated with skilled craftsmen or warriors. One notable bearer of this name was Hewell von Köln, a renowned 12th-century blacksmith whose masterfully forged swords and armor were coveted by nobility and knights across the Holy Roman Empire.
In the 14th century, a Flemish monk named Hewell van Brugge gained recognition for his intricate wood carvings that adorned the interiors of several abbeys and cathedrals in the Low Countries. His exquisite handiwork is still admired by art historians and visitors today.
During the Renaissance period, Hewell Fiorentino, an Italian goldsmith from Florence, achieved fame for his ornate and intricate jewelry designs, which were favored by the wealthy and powerful families of the time, including the Medicis.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, Hewell Ericsson, a Swedish inventor and engineer, made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and pioneered the use of compressed air technology in industrial applications.
While the name Hewell may not be as widely recognized today, its rich history and associations with craftsmanship, artistry, and innovation make it a unique and intriguing moniker that carries a sense of heritage and tradition.
People
Hewell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hewell as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hewell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hewell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hewell going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Hewell a common name?
We classify Hewell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hewell most popular?
The single biggest year for Hewell was 1922, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hewell is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Hewell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hewell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hewell in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Hewell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hewell in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Hewell can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Hewell?
Want to know how many people have the name Hewell? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.