How common is the surname Powell?

224,874 people in the United States had the surname Powell in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 1,373 Americans. It ranked 101st of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Powell?

Colin Powell, American general and diplomat (1937–2021), followed by William Powell.

Where is the surname Powell most common?

Wikidata records people named Powell in the United States, the United Kingdom and Jamaica and 3 other countries.

How do you pronounce Powell?

Powell is /ˈpaʊ.(w)əl/, 2 syllables.

Is the surname Powell getting more or less common?

More common. 216,553 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 224,874 in 2010, up 3.8%.

Is Powell also a first name?

Yes. Powell is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Powell

A Welsh patronymic surname, carried by 224,874 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈpaʊ.(w)əl/ 2 syllables Soundex P400 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Powell is more common than 99.9% of them.

Origin

Welsh origin

The anglicized form of Welsh ap Hywel (“son of Hywel”). Related to Howell and Huell. Sometimes also associated with Paul by folk etymology.

Powell is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

One of 60 Welsh surnames on this site.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 224,874 people named Powell in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 1,373 Americans. That is up 3.8% since 2000, when the Census counted 216,553.

#101

rank among US surnames

224,874

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+3.8%

change since 2000 (was #91)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#92	Alvarez	233,983	1,320
#93	Castillo	230,420	1,340
#94	Sanders	230,374	1,340
#95	Patel	229,973	1,343
#96	Myers	229,895	1,343
#97	Long	229,374	1,346
#98	Ross	229,368	1,346

Who is named Powell

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

67% of people named Powell identified as white (not Hispanic), 27% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.3% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 67%
Black (not Hispanic) 27%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.3%
Two or more races 2.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.5%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Powells

44 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Colin Powell
American general and diplomat (1937–2021)
William Powell
American actor (1892–1984)
Jerome Powell
American financier (born 1953)
Mike Powell
Athletics competitor, long jumper, born 1963
Glen Powell
American actor (born 1988)
John Wesley Powell
American geologist (1834-1902)
Dick Powell
American actor (1904-1963)
Laurene Powell Jobs
American political activist, business executive, philanthropist, heiress, billionaire, born 1963
Jane Powell
American actress, dancer, and singer (1929-2021)
Bud Powell
American jazz pianist and composer (1924–1966)
Robert Powell
British actor, born 1944
Norman Powell
American basketball player (born 1993)

Notable Powells come mostly from the United States (38), the United Kingdom (2) and Jamaica (1).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Variant spellings

Powel

Surnames that sound like Powell

Powell has the Soundex code P400, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code P400.

Other Welsh surnames

All 60 Welsh surnames

Questions

Where does the surname Powell come from?: The anglicized form of Welsh ap Hywel (“son of Hywel”). Related to Howell and Huell. Sometimes also associated with Paul by folk etymology.
How common is the surname Powell?: 224,874 people in the United States had the surname Powell in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 1,373 Americans. It ranked 101st of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Powell?: In the 2010 Census, 67% of people named Powell identified as white (not Hispanic), and 27% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Powell?: Colin Powell, American general and diplomat (1937–2021), followed by William Powell.
Where is the surname Powell most common?: Wikidata records people named Powell in the United States, the United Kingdom and Jamaica and 3 other countries.
How do you pronounce Powell?: Powell is /ˈpaʊ.(w)əl/, 2 syllables.
What type of surname is Powell?: Powell is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Powell getting more or less common?: More common. 216,553 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 224,874 in 2010, up 3.8%.
What are other spellings of Powell?: Powel.
Is Powell also a first name?: Yes. Powell is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.