This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Hoel,' Welsh; v. Powell. Howells is the genitive form; compare Jones, Hughes, Williams, &c.

Hoel fil. Oeni, 7 Henry II: Pipe Roll.

Howel le Waleys, 1313. Writs of Parliament.

Howel ap David, 1313. Writs of Parliament.

Hoel fil. Philip. Calendarium Rotulorum Patentium in Turri Londinensi.

William ap Howell ap Rice: Visit. Gloucestershire, Harleian Society.

Hyllar Howell, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

1674. — Anne, d. Thomas and Dorothy Hewlett: St. Thomas the Apostle (London).

1684. — John, s. John Howlett: St. James, Clerkenwell.

(Celtic) the Welsh Howel, Anglo- Saxonized as Huwal, Huwel, Latinized as Hoel-us [prob. O.Wel. hoew, alert, sprightly + the diminutive suff. -el) The most famous historical bearer of this name was the tenth-century Welsh prince Howel Da— A Howel da uab Kadell vrenhin penn a molyant yr holl Vrytanyeit a vu uarw.

(And Howel the Good, son of Cadell. king, head and glory of all the Britons, died).—Brut y Tywysogion, A.D. 948.

Hoelus filius Owein obiit.—Annales Cambriae, A.D. 1041.

Arthur was at Caerlleon-upon-Usk, his principal palace; and in the centre of the floor of the hall were four men .... Owain ab Urien, Gwalchmai ab Gwyar, Howel ab Emyr Llydaw, and Peredur of the long lance.—‘Peredur ab Evrawc’: Mabinogion, tr. Guest.

And ealle þa cyngas þe on þyssum iglande wæron he ge-wylde: ærest Huwal West Wala cyning . . .

(And all the kings that in this island were he [Æthelstan] ruled: first, Huwal, or Howel, of the West Welsh king . . .) A.-Saxon Chron., A.D. 926.

Hoel son Oeni.—Pipe-Roll, A.D. 1161.

Howel le Waleys [Welshman].— Parliamentary Writs Cp. Powell.

(English) belonging to Howell, or Dweller at the How or Hough Well or Spring [v. under How and Hough, and + Middle English welle, Old English w(i)ella]

(English, Welsh) Descendant of Howell (eminent); descendant of little How, a variant of Hugh (spirit).

1. A very common Welsh baptismal name (Huel). 2. A Lincolnshire parish.

(Cornish British) From Houl, the sun; Greek, Hλ ος, Euhill, high, exalted.

(Welsh), Hual, Generous, Frank? (variant: Powell.)

A location name in Lincolnshire.

Howell: a possible companion of Alan the Red, Duke of Brittany, but probably the same as the family of Le Tourneur, near Vire.

Howell is an ancient name in this county. By the prefix of Ap it has in Wales given rise to Powell: but both Howell and Powell are ancient Bast Anglian names. William Howell held land in Wifton, Norfolk, in the reign of Edward III.; and in the following reign of Richard II. Margary Howel was prioress of Elixton nunnery (Suffolk) (Bl.). In the time of Henry VI. John Howel was vicar of Newton; and in the reign of Henry VII. John Ap Howel was prebend of Norwich (Bl.). After this date the name of Powell, sometimes corrupted to Powle, occurs in the county (Bl.) Powel, however, is an ancient Bast Anglian name; it occurred in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk in the 13th century, whilst Howel was a Bedfordshire surname at the same time (H. R.). Howell is a parish in the neighbouring part of Lincolnshire, and very probably the East Anglian Howells in many cases thence derived their name. Nor do I think that the East Anglian Powels of the 13th century hailed from Wales, though it is singular that John Ap Howel was prebend of Norwich in the reign of Henry VII. Powell has only been a Welsh name some three centuries.