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

Olwell, 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 Olwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olwell in America

Olwell is the 74608th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olwell surname appeared 259 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 Olwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olwell 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 Olwell

The surname Olwell has its origins in England, and it can be traced back to the medieval period, specifically the 12th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "olde" and "well," suggesting an association with an old well or a place where an old well was located.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Olwell can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from the year 1176, where a person named Richard de Oldewelle is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in that region during that time period.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Oldewell, Oldewelle, and Oldwell, indicating slight variations in spelling. These variations were common during that era due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The Olwell surname has been linked to several place names in England, particularly in the counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. For instance, there was a hamlet called Oldwell in the parish of Greasley, Nottinghamshire, which may have contributed to the surname's origin.

One notable figure bearing the Olwell surname was John Olwell, who lived in the 15th century and served as a member of the Parliament of England, representing the borough of Nottingham in 1449.

Another individual of significance was Thomas Olwell, born in 1586 in Nottinghamshire. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his name appeared in various historical records related to land transactions and legal proceedings.

In the 17th century, the Olwell family had established a presence in the county of Derbyshire. A notable member was William Olwell, born in 1632, who was a successful farmer and held influential positions in local governance.

During the 18th century, the Olwell surname gained recognition in the literary world with the birth of Samuel Olwell (1746-1821), an acclaimed poet and playwright from Nottinghamshire. His works were widely published and celebrated during his lifetime.

Another prominent figure was Mary Olwell (1788-1862), a philanthropist and social reformer from Derbyshire. She dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the underprivileged and advocating for education and women's rights.

While the Olwell surname has its roots in England, particularly in the counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by generations of families and individuals who have made significant contributions to their respective communities and fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olwell

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

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

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

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