Warnell
A Germanic name transferred from a surname meaning "guard of the valley".
Name Census estimates that about 96 living Americans carry the first name Warnell. It is a predominantly male name (91.0% of registrations). The average person named Warnell today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Warnell births was 1923 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Warnell. 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
- • The typical person named Warnell is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Warnells were born before 1970.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Warnell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
96
~ 1 in 3,570,358 Americans
Peak year
1923
12 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
1986 SSA rank
#5,545
Tracked since 1918
Gender
Gender distribution for Warnell
Warnell leans heavily male at 91.0% of total registrations, but 16 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Warnell as a male name
- Ranked #6,701 in 1986
- 6 male births in 1986
- Peak: 1962 (12 births)
Warnell as a female name
- Ranked #5,545 in 1952
- 6 female births in 1952
- Peak: 1952 (6 births)
Popularity
Warnell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Warnell from the 1910s through to the 1980s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 40 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Warnell 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 Warnell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Warnells live
Origin
Meaning and history of Warnell
The name Warnell is believed to have its origins in the Old English language, with roots tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon era of the 5th to 11th centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "wæren" meaning "protector" and "ell" signifying "elder" or "leader." Thus, the name Warnell could be interpreted as "protector elder" or "guardian leader."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Warnell can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Warenhel," which is believed to be a variation of the more modern spelling.
Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, the name Warnell was primarily concentrated in regions of England and Scotland. It appeared in various historical records, including parish registers and court documents, indicating its widespread use among the English-speaking population.
One notable figure bearing the name Warnell was Sir Warnell Hansford (1590-1652), an English military officer who fought in the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and served as a lieutenant colonel in the King's army during the conflict.
Another individual of historical significance was Warnell Hawkins (1680-1744), a prominent merchant and landowner from Suffolk, England. He was known for his extensive trading ventures and accumulation of wealth, which allowed him to acquire significant landholdings in the region.
In the realm of literature, the name Warnell appears in several works from the 18th and 19th centuries. For instance, Warnell Johnstone is a character in the novel "The Mysterious Wanderer" by Sophia Lee, published in 1796. This suggests that the name was familiar enough to be used in fictional works of the time.
Another notable figure was Warnell Abbot (1810-1878), an American educator and clergyman who served as the principal of the prestigious Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, from 1848 to 1868. He played a significant role in shaping the educational landscape of his time.
Lastly, Warnell Jones (1882-1957) was a Welsh-born American industrialist and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the steel industry and later became a prominent donor, supporting various educational and cultural institutions in his adopted home state of Ohio.
These examples illustrate the historical presence and usage of the name Warnell across different periods and regions, often associated with individuals of notable accomplishments or social standing.
People
Warnell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Warnell as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Warnell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Warnell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 96 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Warnell 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 3,570,358 US residents.
Is Warnell a common name?
We classify Warnell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 177 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Warnell most popular?
The single biggest year for Warnell was 1923, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Warnell is about 66 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Warnell a male name?
Yes, 91.0% of people registered as Warnell 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.