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

Johnwell, 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 Johnwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Johnwell in America

Johnwell is the 116201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Johnwell surname appeared 150 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Johnwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Johnwell 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 Johnwell

The surname JOHNWELL is of English origin, derived from the medieval English personal name John and the Old English word 'well', meaning a spring or stream of water. It emerged as a locational surname, likely referring to someone who lived near a well or stream associated with someone named John.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century. One of the earliest references is found in the Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire from 1292, which mentions a Robert de Joneswelle.

In the 14th century, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a Richard de Jonewelle, indicating the name's presence in that region. The Norfolk Feet of Fines from 1345 also record a John Jonewelle.

The variant spelling 'Johnwell' appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, where a Henry Johnwell is mentioned. This spelling suggests a closer association with the personal name John.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William Johnwell, who was born in Oxfordshire in 1412. He was a prominent landowner and served as a local magistrate.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Johnwell (1524-1591), a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He played a role in the reformation of the Church of England.

In the 17th century, John Johnwell (1630-1698) was a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Worcester Cathedral.

During the 18th century, the name was associated with the town of Johnwell in Buckinghamshire, which likely derived its name from the surname.

One of the most famous bearers of the name was the 19th-century explorer and naturalist, Robert Johnwell (1822-1895), who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in Africa and Asia.

Throughout its history, the JOHNWELL surname has been found predominantly in the English counties of Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Norfolk, Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Buckinghamshire, reflecting its origins and early distribution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Johnwell

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

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 Johnwell 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 Johnwell 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 Johnwell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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