The name Lydell is an English variant of the Old English name Lydel, which itself is derived from the Old English word "lyde" meaning "loud" or "noisy." It is believed to have originated in the 7th or 8th century CE among the Anglo-Saxon tribes of what is now England.

The earliest recorded use of the name Lydell dates back to the 11th century, appearing in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a surname. It is likely that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname for someone with a loud voice or boisterous personality.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Lydell of Taunton, a 12th-century English landowner and minor noble who held lands in Somerset. Another notable figure was Sir Lydell Fairfax, a 14th-century English knight and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France.

In the 16th century, Lydell Prickett was a renowned English sailor and explorer who accompanied Sir Francis Drake on his circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580. During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Lydell Pynchon was a prominent Puritan settler and magistrate in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, serving as the founder of Springfield, Massachusetts.

Moving into the 18th century, Lydell Sawyer was a highly skilled American cabinetmaker and furniture designer who worked in Boston, Massachusetts, from 1760 to 1789. His intricate woodwork and innovative designs were highly sought after by wealthy clients throughout New England.

In more recent times, Lydell Mitchell was an American professional football player who played running back for the Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers in the National Football League from 1972 to 1979. He was a key member of the Colts' team that won Super Bowl V in 1971.