2000
#20,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,236
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Vowell
An occupational surname referring to a person who played the viola or violin in medieval times.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,611 Americans carry the last name Vowell. That puts it at #12,902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vowell 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 Vowell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 131,273
Census rank
#12,902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,277 bearers of the surname Vowell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vowell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vowell
The surname Vowell is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English words "vowel" or "vowell," which referred to a person who sold or dealt in fowl, such as chickens, geese, and other poultry. This name was likely an occupational surname, indicating the profession or trade of the family.
The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in counties like Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of land ownership and taxation, the name appears as "Vowell" and "Vowel."
One of the earliest known individuals to bear this surname was Robert Vowell, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1327. Another notable example is Thomas Vowell, a merchant and alderman in the city of Oxford, who lived in the late 14th century.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, variations of the spelling emerged, including "Vowle," "Voule," and "Vowles." These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the way the name was pronounced in different areas.
In the Domesday Book, a historical record compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the surname Vowell. However, it does mention several place names that may have been associated with the surname's origins, such as Vowchurch in Herefordshire and Vowley in Berkshire.
One notable individual with the surname Vowell was John Vowell, also known as John Hooker (c. 1524-1601), an English historian and antiquarian who wrote several works on the history of Exeter and Devon. Another was Samuel Vowell (c. 1597-1646), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Suffolk.
Other individuals with this surname include Elizabeth Vowell (c. 1600-1676), an English Puritan author and religious writer, and John Vowell (c. 1575-1632), a Member of Parliament from Gloucestershire during the reign of King James I.
While the surname Vowell is not among the most common surnames in England, it has a rich history and can be traced back to the medieval period, reflecting the occupational origins of many English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vowell
Among Census respondents with the surname Vowell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vowell 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 Vowell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 2,034
- Two or more races5.3% · 120
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 66
- Black or African American1.2% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vowell
Vowell 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
#13,057
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,351
+1,115 bearers (+90.2%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 7,015 places
2020
#12,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,277
-74 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 155 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,072 | 1,236 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,057 | 2,351 | 0.80 | +1,115 bearers (+90.2%) | Up 7,015 places |
| 2020 | #12,902 | 2,277 | 0.76 | -74 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 155 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 Vowell 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 | #13,057 | #12,902 | 1.2% |
| Count | 2,351 | 2,277 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.76 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vowell bearers went from 2,351 to 2,277 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 155 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,057 to #12,902.
FAQ
Vowell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vowell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,611 living Americans carry the surname Vowell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,273 residents.
How common is Vowell?
Vowell ranks #12,902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,277 people with the surname Vowell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,611), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Vowell.
Has Vowell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vowell went from 2,351 recorded bearers to 2,277. That is a decrease of 74 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,057 to #12,902.
What does the Census say about the background of Vowell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vowell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Vowell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (2,034 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vowell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Vowell (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 Vowell mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who played the viola or violin in medieval times. 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 Vowell (0.76 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 common is the surname Vowell?
Want to know how common the surname Vowell is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.