The Nowell surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,112 people carried this name — #5,676 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 48,300 people counted. That is up 16% from 5,281 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Nowell surname

From Middle English Nowel, from Old French noel (“Christmas”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Nowell» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Noel’.

His entry covers Nowell and Nowill.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 563 · public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 40 people named Nowell live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 29
Santa Fe 11

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, Nowell was counted together with Knowles: 234 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 1,362 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Knowles, Knolds, Knoles, Knoll, Knowel, Knowell, Knowls, Noal, Noel, Noell, Nole, Noles, Noll, Nolles, Nool, Noul, Nowel, Nowell, Nowells, Nowels, Nowls. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 47
New Hampshire 32
Pennsylvania 26
Virginia 25
North Carolina 22
Rhode Island 21
Maine 20
Connecticut 18
Maryland 13
New York 5
South Carolina 4
Vermont 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 249 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Nowell in American newspapers,
1910–1929.

Newspaper page from Putnam Patriot carrying the name Nowell
Putnam Patriot 1929-12-12
Newspaper page from University Missourian carrying the name Nowell
University Missourian 1910-10-16
Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Nowell
The Birmingham Age-herald 1920-09-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 43,456 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Nowell in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1980s.

3,857 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Nowell. The most, 623, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 3.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,056
Victoria 1,048
Tasmania 831
Queensland 603
South Australia 194
Western Australia 88
ACT (Canberra) 14
Northern Territory 4

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Nowell.

Who carried it

People named Nowell,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Alexander Nowell
    Alexander Nowell 1507–1602 · politician
  • Alexander Nowell
    Alexander Nowell 1507–1602 · politician
  • Laurence Nowell
    Laurence Nowell 1530–1570 · cartographer
  • Robert Nowell d. 1569 · politician
  • Andrew Nowell d. 1563 · politician
  • Isham Nowell 1567–1620

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Nowell,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States388 records

388 records of the Nowell name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 196
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 64
  • Other U.S. records 128
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Charles W. Nowell

    Born 1914 in South Carolina. Enlisted 1942 at Huntington, West Virginia; printing worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1996, buried at East Oak Grove Cemetery, Morgantown, West Virginia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Charles Keith Nowell

    Born 1949; from Morgantown, West Virginia. U.S. Marine Corps, field artillery fire control man; killed in action 1969 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margt Nowell

    Arrived at New York in 1848 aboard the Queen of the West from Liverpool, aged 24; farmer. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 388 records for Nowell in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia201 records

201 records of the Nowell name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 72
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 52
  • Other Australian records 77
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Edwin Nowell

    Died 1874 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 76. Will registered in Tasmania in 1874.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Edwin Cradock Nowell

    Born 1831 in Hobart, Tasmania. Married 1859 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 29.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Charles Nowell

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Fairlie, arriving 1834; ticket of leave 1845.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 201 records for Nowell in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada15 records

15 records of the Nowell name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 5
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 4
  • Other Canadian records 6
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Einar Nowell

    Died 1971; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Theresa Nowell

    Died 1897 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Tom Nowell

    Died in service in 1916.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 15 records for Nowell in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom15 records

15 records of the Nowell name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 10
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 3
  • Other British records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Agnes Nowell

    Died 1914, aged 44; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Isabel Mary Nowell

    Will proved in 1933; of Rhyl, Flint.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. H. Nowell

    Al Warwickshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 15 records for Nowell in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Nowell name in New Zealand
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Myrtle Nowell

    Died 1940, aged 33; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record G. Nowell

    New Zealand Mounted Rifles. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Nowell.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Nowell is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Nowell volume
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