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

Stovell, 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 Stovell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stovell in America

Stovell is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stovell surname appeared 145 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 Stovell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stovell 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 Stovell

The surname Stovell has its origins in England, tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English words "stofu" meaning a room or chamber, and "fell" meaning a hill or ridge. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was Stovill in the Domesday Book of 1086, referring to a landowner in Wiltshire.

In the 12th century, variations of the name such as Stovile and Stovyll appeared in historical records from Oxfordshire and Somerset. These early spellings suggest that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a hill or ridge with a room or building on it, possibly a lookout point or a small dwelling.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John Stovell, a tax collector from Gloucestershire, mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327. Another notable figure was William Stovell, a merchant from Bristol who was granted a coat of arms in 1562 by the College of Arms in London.

In the 17th century, the surname was found in various parish records across southern England, particularly in counties like Wiltshire, Somerset, and Dorset. A prominent individual from this period was Sir Benjamin Stovell (1632-1708), a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire and a renowned lawyer.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Stovell name appeared in several historical documents, including birth, marriage, and death records. One notable figure was James Stovell (1741-1821), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Sir William Stovell (1805-1879), an English judge and legal writer who authored several influential works on criminal law and jurisprudence.

Throughout its history, the surname Stovell has maintained a strong presence in England, particularly in the southern counties, with various branches and offshoots emerging over time. While relatively uncommon, the name has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including lawyers, politicians, military officers, and professionals.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stovell

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Stovell, 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!