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

Sowells, 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 Sowells surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sowells in America

Sowells is the 43732nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sowells surname appeared 493 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 Sowells.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sowells 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 Sowells

The surname "SOWELLS" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the county of Gloucestershire. It is thought to be a locational surname derived from a place name, possibly a combination of the Old English words "sōg" meaning "a swamp" and "well" referring to a water source or spring.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1327, where it appears as "Sogewelle." This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the 14th century.

In the 16th century, variations of the spelling such as "Sowell" and "Sowel" can be found in various parish records and tax rolls from Gloucestershire and neighboring counties. This may indicate that the name had spread beyond its initial point of origin.

During the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the surname was John Sowells (1583-1647), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Mary Aldermanbury in London. His works included a book titled "The Unmasking of the Politick Atheist" published in 1634.

Another prominent individual with the surname was Sir William Sowells (1620-1695), a member of the English gentry and a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Charles II. He was also a Justice of the Peace and served as High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1671.

In the 18th century, the name appears in various records associated with the county of Somerset, such as the baptismal records of St. Mary's Church in Bridgwater, where a child named Thomas Sowells was baptized in 1746.

Moving into the 19th century, the name is mentioned in connection with the village of Sowe in Warwickshire, which may have been named after the same Old English word for "swamp" that is thought to have influenced the surname. A notable figure from this area was William Sowells (1806-1878), a farmer and landowner who was also involved in local parish affairs.

It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as "Sowell," "Sowel," and "Sowall," were also used throughout the centuries, reflecting the regional and historical variations in pronunciation and record-keeping.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sowells

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

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

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

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