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

Rowell, 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 Rowell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rowell in America

Rowell is the 2285th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rowell surname appeared 15,952 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Rowell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rowell 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 Rowell

The surname Rowell originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "row" or "ra," meaning a row or line, and "well" or "welle," meaning a spring or stream. Thus, Rowell likely referred to someone who lived near a row of springs or a stream.

During the Middle Ages, the name was found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, one of the earliest records of the name, it appears as "de la Rouwelle" and "de Rowelle," indicating its early spelling variations.

The Rowell surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Rowel in Derbyshire and Rowel Green in Worcestershire. These locations may have influenced the name's spelling and distribution.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Rowell was John Rowell, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230. Another early record comes from the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which list a Robert Rowell.

Notable individuals with the Rowell surname include:

1. William Rowell (c. 1520 - c. 1590), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Malmesbury during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. Samuel Rowell (1652 - 1718), an English Puritan minister and writer who served as the vicar of Stratton in Wiltshire.

3. John Rowell (1677 - 1758), an English architect who designed several churches in London, including St. Mary Woolnoth and St. Mary Abchurch.

4. Benjamin Rowell (1757 - 1842), an American soldier who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

5. Joseph Rowell (1805 - 1888), an American politician and lawyer who served as a Representative from New Hampshire in the United States Congress.

While the Rowell surname has undergone various spelling changes throughout history, such as Rowel, Rouell, and Rowelle, it has maintained its English origins and associations with place names and occupations related to streams or springs.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rowell

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!