Norvell
Derived from the Old Norse words "norðr" meaning north and "vollr" meaning field.
Name Census estimates that about 616 living Americans carry the first name Norvell. It is a predominantly male name (90.8% of registrations). The average person named Norvell today is around 62 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Norvell births was 1936 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Norvell. 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.
People living today
616
~ 1 in 556,419 Americans
Peak year
1936
27 babies that year
Average age
62
years old
2012 SSA rank
#4,305
Tracked since 1905
Gender
Gender distribution for Norvell
Norvell leans heavily male at 90.8% of total registrations, but 117 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Norvell as a male name
- Ranked #11,846 in 2012
- 6 male births in 2012
- Peak: 1941 (27 births)
Norvell as a female name
- Ranked #4,305 in 1946
- 7 female births in 1946
- Peak: 1919 (10 births)
Popularity
Norvell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Norvell from the 1900s through to the 2010s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 204 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Norvell 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 Norvell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Norvells live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, Missouri, Arkansas recorded the most babies named Norvell, while Louisiana, Illinois, Arkansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Norvell
The name Norvell is believed to have its origins in the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Scandinavian people during the Viking Age, from around the 8th to the 11th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "Norðrvellir," which translates to "northern field" or "northern plains."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Norvell can be found in the Icelandic sagas, which were written in the 13th and 14th centuries and recount the stories and histories of the Norse people. The name appears to have been used primarily in Scandinavia and the areas influenced by Norse culture, such as parts of present-day Britain and Ireland.
In the Middle Ages, the name Norvell was associated with the Normans, a group of Viking settlers who conquered parts of northern France and eventually invaded England in 1066. Some historical records from this period mention individuals bearing the name Norvell, although specific details are scarce.
One notable figure with the name Norvell was Norvell de Longchamp, a Norman knight who lived in the late 12th century. He is mentioned in the chronicles of the time as a loyal supporter of King Richard I of England, also known as Richard the Lionheart.
Another person of note was Norvell de Mornay, a French Protestant theologian and diplomat who lived from 1549 to 1623. He played a significant role in the French Wars of Religion and was a close advisor to King Henry IV of France.
In the 18th century, Norvell Churchill, an English politician and soldier, served as a member of parliament and fought in the War of the Austrian Succession. He lived from 1718 to 1783.
Moving to the 19th century, Norvell Robertson was an American judge and politician who served as a judge in the Supreme Court of Virginia from 1829 to 1846. He was born in 1786 and died in 1854.
Lastly, Norvell Hardy, an American actor and comedian, was a member of the famous comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. Born in 1892, he appeared in numerous films and shorts alongside his partner Stan Laurel and became a beloved figure in the entertainment industry until his death in 1957.
People
Norvell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Norvell as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Norvell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Norvell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 616 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Norvell 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 1 in 556,419 US residents.
Is Norvell a common name?
We classify Norvell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,275 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Norvell most popular?
The single biggest year for Norvell was 1936, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Norvell is about 62 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Norvell a male name?
Yes, 90.8% of people registered as Norvell 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.
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.