2000
#6,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,281
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.96
Rare Last name
Nowell
From the Old French Noël, referring to someone born on Christmas Day or living near a Christmas tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,396 Americans carry the last name Nowell. That puts it at #5,944 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 53,589 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nowell surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nowell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.4K
1 in 53,589
Census rank
#5,944
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,578 bearers of the surname Nowell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5944th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nowell, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nowell
The surname NOWELL originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "noël" or "noel," meaning "Christmas." This name was initially given as a nickname to someone born around the Christmas holiday or who had a particular association with the festive season.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NOWELL can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which mentions a person named Simon Noel. Another early reference appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, listing a William Nowell.
The NOWELL surname is also linked to various place names in England, such as Nowell in Derbyshire and Nowell Green in Lancashire. These locations likely took their names from individuals bearing the NOWELL surname who resided there.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, several notable individuals carried the NOWELL surname. One of the most prominent was Alexander Nowell (1507-1602), an English theologian and clergyman who served as the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. He played a significant role in the Reformation and contributed to the development of the English Prayer Book.
Another distinguished NOWELL was Laurence Nowell (1516-1576), an antiquarian and historian who made significant contributions to the study of Anglo-Saxon literature and language. He was also the Dean of Lichfield Cathedral.
In the 17th century, Robert Nowell (1589-1675) was a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament. He served as the High Sheriff of Lancashire and was known for his involvement in local politics.
Later, in the 18th century, Ralph Nowell (1730-1794) was a notable English landowner and Member of Parliament representing the borough of Wigan. He was also a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire.
Another individual of note was John Nowell (1768-1840), an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and church history.
Throughout history, the NOWELL surname has been associated with various professions, including the clergy, academia, politics, and landed gentry. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nowell
Among Census respondents with the surname Nowell, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Nowell bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Nowell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.3% · 4,146
- Black or African American16.3% · 907
- Two or more races4.3% · 238
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 200
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nowell
Nowell appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,112
+831 bearers (+15.7%)
Per 100,000 2.07
Rank movement Up 328 places
2020
#5,944
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,578
-534 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 1.87
Rank movement Down 268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,004 | 5,281 | 1.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,676 | 6,112 | 2.07 | +831 bearers (+15.7%) | Up 328 places |
| 2020 | #5,944 | 5,578 | 1.87 | -534 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 268 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Nowell surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,676 | #5,944 | -4.7% |
| Count | 6,112 | 5,578 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.07 | 1.87 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nowell bearers went from 6,112 to 5,578 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 268 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,676 to #5,944.
FAQ
Nowell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nowell?
Name Census estimates that about 6,396 living Americans carry the surname Nowell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 53,589 residents.
How common is Nowell?
Nowell ranks #5,944 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,578 people with the surname Nowell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,396), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Nowell.
Has Nowell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nowell went from 6,112 recorded bearers to 5,578. That is a decrease of 534 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,676 to #5,944.
What does the Census say about the background of Nowell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nowell, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nowell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.3% (4,146 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nowell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.3%), Black (16.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Nowell (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Nowell mean?
From the Old French Noël, referring to someone born on Christmas Day or living near a Christmas tree. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Nowell (1.87 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Nowell?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Nowell, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.