Find out how popular the last name Jewell is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Jewell.

Jewell, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Jewell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jewell in America

Jewell is the 1550th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jewell surname appeared 23,187 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Jewell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jewell to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Jewell

The surname Jewell is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "juel" or "jouel," which means "jewel." This surname likely emerged during the Middle Ages and was initially an occupational name for someone who crafted or sold jewels or precious stones.

The name Jewell can be traced back to various regions across England, particularly in counties such as Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Gloucestershire. Historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 and the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, mention individuals with the surname Jewell or variations like Juel, Juwel, and Juwele.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jewell appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where a person named William Juel is mentioned. In the Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire from 1221, a certain Roger Juel is listed.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not include the surname Jewell directly, but it does mention place names like Juillieres in Essex, which may have influenced the development of the surname from a locational perspective.

Notable individuals with the surname Jewell throughout history include:

1. John Jewell (c. 1522-1571), an English Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his influential work "An Apology of the Church of England."
2. John Jewell (c. 1701-1766), an English architect and surveyor, responsible for designing numerous buildings in London, including the church of St. Luke's Old Street.
3. Pliny Jewell (1804-1869), an American politician and lawyer who served as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut from 1861 to 1863.
4. Marshall Jewell (1825-1883), an American politician and businessman who served as the 28th Governor of Connecticut from 1869 to 1873 and as the United States Postmaster General from 1874 to 1876.
5. Sarah Orne Jewell (1870-1955), an American writer and editor known for her works on New England history and folklore, including "Casco Bay Thaxter" and "Old Trails and New Alleys."

The surname Jewell has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Jewell Green in Buckinghamshire, Jewell's Farm in Somerset, and Jewell's Hill in Wiltshire, potentially indicating the historical presence of families bearing this surname in these areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jewell

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Jewell.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Jewell was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Jewell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Jewell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jewell, please contact us.

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