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At a Glance: Name: Powell – Meaning: son of Hywel – Origin: Welsh (anglicized) – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: POW-ul
Powell is a Welsh name, pronounced POW-ul, that comes from the patronymic 'ap Hywel' — meaning son of Hywel — later anglicized into the surname-style spelling used today. You may come across the claim that Powell means 'son of the servant of St. Paul,' but that's not accurate: the name has no real tie to Paul, and the two were only ever linked because they sound alike. It's used as a neutral, all-gender name, rooted in that Welsh 'son of Hywel' origin.
Meaning & Origin of Powell
Meaning: Son of hywel.
Origin: Welsh (anglicized).
A common claim: Powell is often said to mean 'son of the servant of St. Paul' Actually: Powell doesn't derive from Paul at all — it's the anglicized Welsh patronymic 'ap Hywel' ('son of Hywel'), only folk-associated with Paul by sound resemblance.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Powell
Phonetic: POW-ul IPA: /ˈpaʊəl/
Popularity of Powell
SSA records for Powell run from 1883 to 2024, with the name reaching its peak popularity at #936 in 1891, when 6 babies were given the name. By 2024 it ranked #8145, with 10 babies recorded that year.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1883–2024.
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Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Powell mean?
Son of hywel. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Powell)
How do you pronounce Powell?
Powell is pronounced POW-ul (IPA: /ˈpaʊəl/).
Is Powell a popular name right now?
Powell peaked at #936 in 1891 and is ranked #8145 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1883–2024.)
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