Cowell Surname

25,246th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 21,370 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Isle of Man

Cowell Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Nicholas,' from nick. Cole, provincially Coul (v. Coulson and Coulling). Cole and Coles (which see) are the general forms, (a) Local, 'of Couhill' or 'Cowhill,' some small spot in or near Blackburn, Lancashire.

Read More About This Surname

Cowell Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States8,6641:41,8355,138
England7,6461:7,2871,064
Australia2,1561:12,5211,826
Canada1,1231:32,8104,250
Jamaica3391:8,466965
Wales2511:12,3291,368
New Zealand2391:18,9473,331
South Africa2301:235,55524,262
Isle of Man1581:54357
Scotland1401:38,2423,652
Thailand581:1,217,902177,118
France361:1,845,076161,051
Northern Ireland361:51,2514,273
Chile281:629,16015,000
Singapore261:211,83510,313
Germany251:3,220,218147,383
Ireland201:235,4479,345
Ecuador171:935,63814,108
Qatar161:147,37516,023
Spain161:2,922,00263,384
Argentina111:3,885,765145,016
Brazil111:19,461,303329,560
Panama91:434,6958,518
Israel91:950,84857,975
Cayman Islands81:7,987922
Hong Kong71:1,047,9264,985
Switzerland51:1,642,58387,307
Liberia51:881,70733,815
Philippines51:20,247,645262,352
Netherlands51:3,377,435111,911
Indonesia41:33,062,298643,618
Belgium41:2,874,161111,046
United Arab Emirates41:2,290,56860,372
Malaysia41:7,373,556230,001
Denmark41:1,411,17960,800
China31:455,773,85521,925
Italy31:20,385,563143,117
Russia31:48,041,019639,186
Croatia21:2,114,30285,143
Belize21:177,7373,502
Zimbabwe21:7,719,120118,432
Norway21:2,571,14395,402
Cyprus21:442,4389,493
India21:383,532,6911,645,216
Japan21:63,922,14662,827
Egypt11:91,935,754132,737
Finland11:5,496,70284,025
Togo11:7,247,76812,049
Colombia11:47,774,07244,230
Bahamas11:391,7512,737
Vietnam11:92,646,0548,382
Azerbaijan11:9,649,12247,873
Tajikistan11:8,386,69212,859
Austria11:8,515,435118,036
Dominican Republic11:10,432,93236,508
Czechia11:10,633,469206,023
Antigua and Barbuda11:99,1712,137
Congo11:4,989,09634,171
Tanzania11:52,941,613123,716
Nigeria11:177,142,758748,972
Ghana11:27,020,69223,742
Gibraltar11:33,9541,660
South Korea11:51,240,2568,015
Guam11:160,1214,893
Saudi Arabia11:30,855,81763,028
Kuwait11:3,800,69427,187
Malawi11:17,119,10934,144
Poland11:38,008,749231,653
Malta11:430,2723,380
Peru11:31,784,12364,452
Mexico11:124,126,205103,776
Oman11:3,687,97114,390
Bulgaria11:6,978,90586,260
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland761:58,2884,634
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England3,9391:6,188952
Isle of Man3121:17438
Scotland311:120,7495,564
Wales181:87,1343,963
Guernsey11:32,6562,283
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States1,5671:32,0483,854

Cowell (109) may also be a first name.

Cowell Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Nicholas,' from nick. Cole, provincially Coul (v. Coulson and Coulling). Cole and Coles (which see) are the general forms, (a) Local, 'of Couhill' or 'Cowhill,' some small spot in or near Blackburn, Lancashire.

John de Couhill, of Rishton, Lancashire, 1332: Lay Subsidy (Rylands).

John de Coule, of Blackburn, Lancashire, 1332: ibid.

1582. Married — Thomas Woodcrafte and Margaret Cowell: St. Michael, Cornhill.

1636. Benjamin Brighouse and Anne Cowles, widow of Richard Cole (sic): Marriage Lic. (London).

1809. Married —Joseph Coules and Lucy Bedford: St. George, Hanover Square.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

(English) Dweller at the Cow-Hill [Old English cú + hyll] or the Cow-Slope or Corner [Old English cú + heal(h] (Celtic) abbrev. of MacCathmhaoil, Son of Cathmaol = Battle-Slave [Irish cath, a battle + maol, a slave]

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

Possibly from Cowal, a considerable district of Argyleshire.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

Contracted from Mac Cathmaoil (cor­rupted into Mac Cawell) ‘Cathmaol's Son.'' The personal name Cathmaol has been explained as meaning 'Battle- heap.' On a cross at Kirk Bride the name Kaþmaoil is given to a woman, which is very unusual.

'CIONAIDH UA CaTHMHAOIL', A.D, 967.

'Conor Mac Cawell, chief of Kinel Ferady', A.D. 1252.

Cowell and Cowle are purely Manx names.

##### , contracted from Mac Cumhail, 'Cumhall's Son' (comhal, 'courageous'). Finn Mac Cumhail, or Finn Mac Coole, the Fingal of Ossian, is the hero of many beautiful legends.

Manx Names (1890) by Arthur William Moore

From the Irish Mac Cathmhoil; a personal name.

British Family Names: Their Origin and Meaning (1903) by Henry Barber

The Cowells of Lancashire probably take their name from Cowhill, a district and seat in Lancashire.

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy

Cowell Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Cowell Come From? nationality or country of origin

The last name Cowell occurs most in The United States. It can appear in the variant forms:. For other possible spellings of Cowell click here.

How Common Is The Last Name Cowell? popularity and diffusion

The surname is the 25,246th most widely held surname worldwide. It is borne by around 1 in 341,018 people. Cowell occurs mostly in The Americas, where 48 percent of Cowell are found; 46 percent are found in North America and 45 percent are found in Anglo-North America. It is also the 900,062nd most widespread forename world-wide It is held by 109 people.

The surname Cowell is most widely held in The United States, where it is carried by 8,664 people, or 1 in 41,835. In The United States Cowell is most prevalent in: California, where 12 percent live, Ohio, where 6 percent live and Missouri, where 5 percent live. Besides The United States Cowell exists in 72 countries. It is also found in England, where 36 percent live and Australia, where 10 percent live.

Cowell Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The incidence of Cowell has changed over time. In The United States the number of people carrying the Cowell last name grew 553 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it grew 194 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it grew 1,394 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it grew 452 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it fell 74 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Cowell Last Name Statistics demography

The religious devotion of those carrying the surname is principally Catholic (77%) in Ireland.

In The United States Cowell are 8.93% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than the national average, with 55.7% registered to vote for the political party.

The amount Cowell earn in different countries varies greatly. In Norway they earn 46.71% less than the national average, earning 184,438 kr per year; in South Africa they earn 63.29% more than the national average, earning R 388,044 per year; in United States they earn 0.71% less than the national average, earning $42,843 USD per year and in Canada they earn 0.7% more than the national average, earning $50,033 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Chowell92240/
Couwell9210/
Cohwell923/
Cowelle923/
Cowwell923/
Coowell921/
Cowelll921/
Coweill920/
Cuowell920/
Coywell920/
Coewell920/
Cowel91167/
Coell9141/
Coyswell860/
Cochwell860/
Coweille860/
Covell835,659/
Kowell83249/
Cobell83171/
Couell8346/
Cawell8324/
Coyell8316/
Chowel8311/
Cowill837/
Coweil834/
Chowll833/
Cuwell831/
Coweel831/
Coewll831/
Coweal831/
Couwel831/
Zowell830/
Cowele830/
Coweld830/
Cowl80538/
Coel80461/
Covelle7793/
Couvell7743/
Couelle7725/
Cowhill7712/
Cousell779/
Coewill778/
Coutell772/
Zhowell771/
Cawelle771/
Ceuwell771/
Cotvell771/
Chawell771/
Coggell770/
Caweell770/
Coevill770/
Cauwell770/
Coevell770/
Khowell770/
Coyelle770/
Coull734,526/
Covel73996/
Chowl73954/
Cowle73775/
Cuell73549/
Cobel73428/
Koell73392/
Kowel73355/
Choel73124/
Couel7344/
Coyel7326/
Coill7319/
Cawel7317/
Zowel7314/
Coelh7310/
Caell733/
Cawll733/
Cowil732/
Ceill731/
Cuwel731/
Coowl731/
Covll731/
Ceall730/
Cowlt730/
Ceyll730/
Coiel730/
Couchell7157/
Tschoell7150/
Coussell7143/
Chovelle714/
Tchouwel711/
Caaswell711/
Couvelle710/
Cazswell710/
Caswwell710/
Cowhilld710/
Covele675,676/
Cabell672,400/
Cavell671,840/
Covill671,495/
Coutel67825/
Cogiel67739/
Zoweil67495/
Cauwel67421/
Kawell67314/
Coisel67224/
Kovell67203/
Coille67203/
Cowled67197/
Coubel67192/
Kowiel67164/
Cobill6798/
Coulle6798/
Cubell6774/
Cheall6741/
Chovel6730/
Chowil6730/
Cawele6729/
Chobel6721/
Cousel6721/
Kouwel6718/
Chojel6715/
Chowle6713/
Coviel6712/
Czobel6712/
Coveal6711/
Coyill679/
Kowael678/
Choyel676/
Cowgil676/
Cawiel676/
Zouwel676/
Koweil675/
Chawel675/
Cobeil674/
Couvel674/
Chouel674/
Zowiel674/
Cawill673/
Kowill673/
Coitel673/
Zawell672/
Cobelh672/
Cawelt672/
Coeuil672/
Kowlle671/
Cgawel671/
Covelt671/
Chiell671/
Kowuel671/
Zuwell671/
Kowele671/
Cuiwel671/
Koewel671/
Cziell671/
Caouel671/
Coucel671/
Coveld671/
Coyoll671/
Cowlet671/
Cohuel671/
Tchouwele671/
Zoweal671/
Caiell671/
Chaell671/
Zovell670/
Coyall670/
Cowile670/
Koweld670/
Cheill670/
Kouell670/
Cobeal670/
Cowilt670/
Coicel670/

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Cowell
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis