Howell ( , ) is a surname and given name originating from

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. It is an

anglicised Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

form of the Welsh name

Hywel Hywel (), sometimes anglicised as Howel or Howell, is a Welsh masculine given name. It may refer to: Monarchs * Hywel the Great, late fifth- and early sixth-century noble in Brittany, saint and king of Brittany in the Arthurian legend. *Hywel ap R ...

. It originates in a dynasty of kings in Wales and

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

in the 9th and 10th-centuries, most notably king

Hywel Dda Hywel ap Cadell, commonly known as Hywel Dda, which translates to Howel the Good in English, was a Welsh king who ruled the southern Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth and eventually came to rule most of Wales. He became the sole king of Seisyllw ...

("Howel the Good") and three Welsh royal houses of that time onwards. The royal

House of Tudor The House of Tudor ( ) was an English and Welsh dynasty that held the throne of Kingdom of England, England from 1485 to 1603. They descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd, a Welsh noble family, and Catherine of Valois. The Tudor monarchs ruled ...

was also descended from them. Today, nearly 200,000 people bear this surname.

Etymology and history

Welsh origin

The name Howell originates from the Welsh masculine given name, Hywel, meaning "eminent" or "prominent", derived from the

Old Welsh Old Welsh () is the stage of the Welsh language from about 800 AD until the early 12th century when it developed into Middle Welsh.Koch, p. 1757. The preceding period, from the time Welsh became distinct from Common Brittonic around 550, ha ...

given name, Higuel. Literally meaning, ''hy-'' (“good”) + ''gwêl'' (“sight”), "well-seen". The first known recording of the name comes in the ''

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the ninth century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of ...

'', referring to a Brittonic king known as Huwal of the West Welsh in 926 AD. Many scholars believe this to be referring to the 10th-century law giving Welsh king,

, to which many Howells claim their descent from. He is the most famous historical bearer of the name, and was recorded with the title

King of the Britons The title King of the Britons (, ) was used (often retrospectively) to refer to a ruler, especially one who might be regarded as the most powerful, among the Celtic Britons, both before and after the period of Roman Britain up until the Norman ...

by 950 AD. Howell as a surname is derived from the name of an ancestor, meaning the "son of Hoel" (and variants). Its original Welsh form would use the prefix ''ap'', for example: Owain ap Hywel ("Owain son of Hywel"). The Latin motto for the Howell family name is ''Virtus in arduo'' (variously translated as "Valour in difficulty", "Strength in difficulty" or "Virtue in difficulty"). Howell (and its variant forms) as a given name has been popular in honour of Hywel Dda since the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. In

Geoffrey of Monmouth Geoffrey of Monmouth (; ; ) was a Catholic cleric from Monmouth, Wales, and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur. He is best known for his chronicle '' The History of ...

's 12th-century pseudohistorical ''

Historia regum Britanniae (''The History of the Kings of Britain''), originally called (''On the Deeds of the Britons''), is a fictitious account of British history, written around 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the List of legendary kings o ...

'', there is mention of a late 5th and early 6th-century Brittonic king known as Hywel the Great, said to be born in around 500 AD. This is the earliest claimed account of the name, although Hywel the Great is generally considered as legendary, he appears in

Welsh mythology Welsh mythology (also commonly known as ''Y Chwedlau'', meaning "The Legends") consists of both folk traditions developed in Wales, and traditions developed by the Celtic Britons elsewhere before the end of the first millennium. As in most of t ...

and the

Matter of Britain The Matter of Britain (; ; ; ) is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the list of legendary kings of Britain, legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Art ...

as a "

king of Brittany The Kingdom of Brittany () was a short-lived vassal-state of the Frankish Empire that emerged during the Norse invasions. Its history begins in 851 with Erispoe's claim to kingship. In 856, Erispoe was murdered and succeeded by his cousin Sal ...

". He is considered a Welsh saint and was said to have been a relative of the legendary

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

In England

After the English Conquest of Wales in the 13th-century, followed by the

Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 () or the Acts of Union (), were Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), acts of the Parliament of England under King Henry VIII of England, causing Wales to be incorporated into the realm of the Kingdom of Engl ...

in the 16th-century, Wales was incorporated into the

Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from the late 9th century, when it was unified from various Heptarchy, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland to f ...

. This resulted in the migration of Howells into Western England from Wales, particularly in counties along the Anglo-Welsh border. Many settlers anglicized their surnames from their original Welsh forms, such as "Hywel" to instead "Howell". In the Eastern English counties, the name was brought by

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally **Breton people **Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Gale ...

settlers after the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

. The

forms of the name were Houuel, Huwel, Huwal, and Howael. There is also a claim for the surname having separate English origins, from the place-name Howell found in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

and derived from the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

, ''hugol'' meaning “mound” or “hillock.”

In the British Empire

As a result of English colonialism and subsequently, the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

, descendants of the Howell family name can be found across the world. Today, It is most prevalently found in the core Anglosphere countries, such as the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. However, during the period of slavery in the British colonies, many slaves were known by the surname of their masters, or adopted those surnames upon their

emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure Economic, social and cultural rights, economic and social rights, civil and political rights, po ...

. Some descendants of these formerly enslaved peoples, continue to bear these surnames today, particularly in countries in the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

Geographical distribution

As of 2014, over 74.0% of all known bearers of the surname Howell were residents of the

, 12.3% are in the

British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...

(10.4% in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, 1.3% in

, 0.2% in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, 0.2% in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, 0.2% in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

) 4.6% in

, 3.0% in

, 1.7% in

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

, 0.8% in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

and 0.7% in

. Notable people with the name include:

Surname

A

* Ada Verdun Howell (1902–1981), Australian author and poet * Albert Howell (comedian), Canadian comedian and writer * Albert Howell (cricketer) (1898–1958), English cricketer * Alfred Brazier Howell (1886–1961), American zoologist, primarily a mammalogist * Algie Howell (born 1938), American Democratic politician * Alice Howell (1886–1961), American silent movie actress *

Anthony Howell (actor) Anthony Matthew Howell (born 27 June 1971) is an English actor, best known for his starring role as Sgt. Paul Milner in the British TV series '' Foyle's War'' and Margit/Morgott in ''Elden Ring''. Early years Howell was born in the Lake Dis ...

(born 1971), British TV actor * Anthony Howell (performance artist) (born 1945), British performance artist *

Arlene Howell Arlene Howell (born Eurlyne Howell; October 26, 1939) is an American former actress and beauty pageant titleholder who won the title of Miss USA 1958. Early life and education Howell was born in Delhi, Louisiana, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. ...

(born 1939), American TV actress * Arthur H. Howell (1872–1940), American zoologist

B

Bailey Howell Bailey E. Howell (born January 20, 1937) is an American former professional basketball player. After playing college basketball at Mississippi State, Howell played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A six-time NBA All-Star a ...

(born 1937), American basketball player * Benny Howell (born 1988), English cricketer *

Benjamin Franklin Howell Benjamin Franklin Howell (January 27, 1844 – February 1, 1933) was an American banker and Civil War veteran who served eight terms as a Republican Party politician, representing in the United States House of Representatives from 1895 to 191 ...

(1844–1933), American Republican politician * Benjamin Hunting Howell (1875–unknown), American rower * Beryl A. Howell (born 1956), American judge * Bill Howell (American football) (1905–1981), American football player * Bill Howell (cricketer) (1869–1940), Australian cricketer *

Blue Howell Edward E. "Blue" Howell (1905 – April 15, 1964) was an American college football player and coach. He was the fifth head football coach at Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg—now known as Pittsburg State University—i ...

(1905–1964), American football player * Brett Harland Howell, British musician * Buddy Howell (born 1996), American football player

C

C. Thomas Howell Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966) is an American actor and director. After making his film debut with a supporting role in ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982), Howell had his breakout with a lead role as Ponyboy Curtis in the c ...

(born 1966), American actor *

Carla Howell Carla Howell (born 1955) is an American politician, small government advocate and activist. She was the Libertarian Party of Massachusetts candidate for Massachusetts State Auditor in 1998, U.S. Senate in 2000, and Governor in 2002. She then served ...

(born 1955), American Libertarian politician * Cedric Howell (1896–1919), Australian fighter pilot * Charles Howell (British politician) (1905–1974), British Labour politician and member of Parliament *

Charles Howell III Charles Gordon Howell III (born June 20, 1979) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on LIV Golf and formerly on the PGA Tour. He has been featured in the top 15 of the Official World Golf Ranking and ranked 9th on the PGA Tour m ...

(born 1979), American golfer * Charles Andrew Howell III (1930–2011), American businessman *

Charles Augustus Howell Charles Augustus Howell (10 March 1840 – 21 April 1890) was an art dealer and alleged blackmailer who is best known for persuading the poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti to dig up the poems he buried with his wife Elizabeth Siddal. His reputation as ...

(1840–1890), British-Portuguese art dealer *

Charles Henry Howell Charles Henry Howell FRIBA (1905) was the principal architect of lunatic asylums in England during much of the Victorian era. Based in Lancaster Place, London he was a partner in the architects' firm Howell & Brooks. Howell designed asylums at ...

(c. 1824 – 1905), British architect * Charles R. Howell (1904–1973), American politician and member of the House of Representatives * Charmaine Howell (born 1975), Jamaican athlete * Christopher Howell (born 1945), American poet * Christopher Howell (cricketer) (born 1977), English cricketer * Clarence Howell (1881–1936), American chess master *

Clark Howell Clark Howell (September 21, 1863 – November 14, 1936) was a Pulitzer Prize winning American newspaper man and politician from the state of Georgia. For fifty-three years, he was editorial executive and owner of ''The Atlanta Constitutio ...

(1863–1936), American newspaperman and politician * Clement Howell (1935–1987), Turks and Caicos politician * Colin Howell (born 1959), Northern Irish murderer

D

* Daedalus Howell (born 1972), American writer *

Daniel Howell Daniel James Howell (born 11 June 1991) is an English YouTuber, presenter, comedian and author. He gained prominence through his YouTube channels ''Daniel Howell'' (formerly known as ''danisnotonfire''), which reached over six million subscrib ...

(born 1991), British vlogger and BBC Radio 1 presenter * Daniel Howell (Wisconsin politician) (1807–1890), Wisconsin state senator *

David Howell, Baron Howell of Guildford David Arthur Russell Howell, Baron Howell of Guildford, (born 18 January 1936) is a British Conservative Party politician, journalist, and economic consultant. Having been successively Secretary of State for Energy and then for Transport und ...

(born 1936), British Conservative politician * David Howell (British Army officer), British barrister and officer *

David Howell (chaplain) David Howell (31 May 1929 – 11 November 2017) was an Anglican priest and writer. The thrust of his ministry was in the area of health and healing, including posts as Director and Chaplain of the Divine Healing Mission from 1981 to 1989 and Direc ...

(1929–2017), Anglican priest and writer *

David Howell (chess player) David Wei Liang Howell (born 14 November 1990) is an English chess grandmaster and commentator. A three-time British champion (2009, 2013 and 2014), he is also the second youngest British person to achieve the title of Grandmaster, earned at ...

(born 1990), British chess grandmaster *

David Howell (footballer) David Howell (born 10 October 1958) is an English former footballer who played as a central defender. He played non-league football for many years, becoming the first black captain of the England Semi-Professional Team, until making his Footba ...

(born 1958), English footballer *

David Howell (golfer) David Alexander Howell (born 23 June 1975) is an English professional golfer. His career peaked in 2006, when he won the BMW Championship and was ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for a short time. He played in the Ryd ...

(born 1975), English golfer *

David Howell (jurist) David Howell (January 1, 1747 – July 30, 1824) was a Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation from Rhode Island, an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, Attorney General of Rhode Island and a United States district j ...

(1747–1824), American jurist * David Howell (priest) (1831–1903), British clergyman * David Howell (rugby league) (born 1983), Australian rugby league player * Dean Howell (born 1980), English footballer * Deborah Howell (1941–2010), American journalist * Delles Howell (born 1948), American football player * Denis Howell, Baron Howell (1923–1998), British Labour politician *

Dixie Howell Millard Fleming "Dixie" Howell (November 24, 1912 – March 2, 1971) was an American football and baseball player and coach. He played college football as a halfback at the University of Alabama from 1932 to 1934 and with the Washington Redskin ...

(1912–1971), American football player *

Dixie Howell (catcher) Homer Elliot "Dixie" Howell (April 24, 1920 – October 5, 1990) was an American professional baseball catcher. He appeared in eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1947 and 1956 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and B ...

(1920–1990), American baseball player * Dixie Howell (pitcher) (1920–1960), American baseball player * Dorothy Howell (composer) (1898–1982), British composer and pianist * Dorothy Howell (screenwriter) (1899–1971), American screenwriter * Dorothy Emma Howell (1919–2011), American homemaker and mother of

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

* Douglass Morse Howell (1906–1994), American papermaker and artist

E

* Edward Howell (disambiguation), several people * Edwin C. Howell (1860–1907), American whist and chess player * Edwin E. Howell (1845–1911), American geologist and cartographer * Elias Howell (1792–1844), American politician * Ella Mai Howell (born 1994), English singer-songwriter *

Evan Howell Evan Park Howell (December 10, 1839August 6, 1905) was an American politician and early telegraph operator, as well as an officer in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Early years and education Evan Howell was born on December ...

(1839–1905), American politician, early telegraph operator and officer in the Confederate Army

F

* Francis Howell (disambiguation), several people *

Francis Clark Howell Francis Clark Howell (November 27, 1925 – March 10, 2007), generally known as F. Clark Howell, was an American anthropologist. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, F. Clark Howell grew up in Kansas, where he became interested in natural history. H ...

(1925–2007), American anthropologist

G

* Gareth Howell (born 1981), Welsh racing driver * Gary Howell (Michigan politician), member of the Michigan House of Representatives * Gary Howell (West Virginia politician) (born 1966), member of the West Virginia House of Delegates *

George Howell (entrepreneur) George Howell (born 1945) is an American entrepreneur and one of the pioneers of the specialty-coffee movement in the early 1970s. Early life Born and raised in New Jersey, Howell's family moved to Mexico City when he was 13. He studied art hi ...

(born 1945), American entrepreneur * George Howell (Pennsylvania politician) (1859–1913), American Republican politician * George Howell (soldier) (1893–1964), Australian soldier *

George Howell (trade unionist) George Howell (5 October 1833 – 17 September 1910) was an English trade unionist and reform campaigner and a Lib-Lab politician, who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1895. Biography George Howell was born in Wrington, Somerset, the ...

(1833–1911), British politician and trade unionist * George Evan Howell (1905–1980), American Republican politician * George Howell Kidder (1925–2009), American lawyer * Gerran Howell (born 1991), Welsh actor * Gillian Howell (1927–2000), British architect * Graham Howell (born 1951), English footballer * Gwynne Howell (born 1938), Welsh opera singer

H

Hannah Howell Hannah Dustin Howell (born 1950 in Massachusetts) is an American author of over 40 historical romance novels, many of which are set in medieval Scotland. She also writes under the names Sarah Dustin, Sandra Dustin, and Anna Jennet. Biography ...

(born 1950), American romance novelist * Harry Howell (baseball) (1876–1956), American baseball player * Harry Howell (cricketer) (1890–1932), English cricketer and footballer *

Harry Howell (ice hockey) Henry Vernon Howell (December 28, 1932 – March 9, 2019) was a Canadian professional hockey player and longtime star for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played in the NHL and then the World Hockey Association (WHA) b ...

(1932–2019), Canadian ice hockey player *

Henry Howell Henry Evans Howell Jr. (September 5, 1920 – July 7, 1997), nicknamed "Howlin' Henry" Howell, was an American lawyer and politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia. A progressive populist and a member of the Democratic Party, he served in ...

(1920–1997), American Democratic politician * Henry Howell (Mormon) (1828–1896), British-American settler * Horatio Stockton Howell (1820–1963), American chaplain

I

* Ian Howell (born 1958), South African cricketer and umpire

J

Jack Howell (baseball) Jack Robert Howell (born August 18, 1961) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on May 20, 1985, with the California Angels, and played his final game on July 17, 1999, with the ...

(born 1961), American baseball player * Jack Howell (footballer) (1924–1994), Australian rules football player * Jack Howell (swimmer) (1899–1967), American swimmer * Jack P. Howell (1895–1971), Australian rules football player * James Howell (disambiguation), several people * Jamie Howell (born 1977), English footballer * Janet Howell (born 1944), American Democratic politician * Jay Howell (born 1955), American baseball player *

Jay Howell (illustrator) Jason "Jay" Howell (born 1979) is an American illustrator, cartoonist, and character designer. He has also worked as a commercial artist, muralist, and tattoo artist. Howell was a co-creator and animator on the Nickelodeon TV series ''Sanjay and ...

(born 1979), American illustrator, animator, cartoonist, and artist *

Jennifer Howell Jennifer Howell is a Canadian-American voice actress. She is the voice of Bebe Stevens on the animated television series ''South Park''. She was also the show's supervising producer. From November 2005 to June 2008, Howell was the Executive Vice P ...

, Canadian-American voice actor * Jenny Howell (died 1984), American murder victim *

Jeremiah B. Howell Jeremiah Brown Howell (August 28, 1771February 5, 1822) was a United States senator from Rhode Island. Born in Providence, he attended private schools, pursued classical studies and graduated from the College of Rhode Island and Providence Pla ...

(1771–1822), U.S. Senator from Rhode Island *

Jim Lee Howell James Lee Howell (September 27, 1914 – January 4, 1995) was an American professional football player and coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). Howell was born in Arkansas, and played college football and baske ...

(1914–1995), American football player * Joe Howell, American songwriter * John Howell (defensive back) (born 1978), American football player * John Howell (halfback) (1915–1946), American football player *

John Howell (politician) John Michael Howell (born 27 July 1955) is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley from 2008 to 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he won a by-election to replace Boris Johnson, who resigned follo ...

(born 1955), British Conservative politician * John Adams Howell (1840–1918), American naval officer * John Cummings Howell (1819–1892), American naval officer * John H. Howell, American officer * John McDade Howell (1922–2016), American professor *

John Thomas Howell John Thomas Howell (November 6, 1903 – May 7, 1994) was an American botanist and taxonomist. He became an expert of ''Eriogonum'' (buckwheat) species, which are widely represented in the native California flora. He was the assistant of Alice ...

(1903–1994), American botanist * John White Howell (1857–1937), American electrical engineer * Jordan Charles Howell, British musician * Joseph Howell (1857–1918), American Republican politician * Joshua B. Howell (1806–1864), American officer * J. P. Howell (born 1983), American baseball player

K

* Kathleen Howell, American engineer * Ken Howell (1960–2018), American baseball player *

Krista Howell Krista Lynn Howell is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in the 2021 provincial election. She represents the electoral district of St. Barbe-L'Anse aux Meadows as a member of the Liberal Pa ...

, Canadian politician *

Kirby Howell-Baptiste Kirby Howell-Baptiste (born 23 October 1987), credited mononymously as Kirby since 2023, is an English actress. She has appeared as a series regular on '' Downward Dog'' (2017), ''Killing Eve'' (2018), '' Why Women Kill'' (2019), and as Death o ...

, British Born American Actress

L

* Lane Howell (born 1941), American football player * Larry Howell, American mechanical engineer * Laura Howell, British comic book artist * Lenzie Howell (1967–2020), American basketball player *

Leonard Howell Leonard Percival Howell (16 June 1898 – 23 January 1981), also known as The Gong or G. G. Maragh (for ''Gangun Guru''), was a Jamaican religious figure. According to his biographer Hélène Lee, Howell was born into an Anglican family. He was o ...

(1898–1981), Jamaican religious figure, founder of the Rastafari movement * Leonard Howell (footballer) (1848–1895), English footballer * Lis Howell (born 1951), British journalist * Llorne Howell (born 1972), New Zealand cricketer * Lottice Howell (1897–1982), American singer and actress * Luke Howell (born 1994), Australian film actor

M

* Magnolia Howell (born 1983), sprinter for Trinidad and Tobago *

Margaret Howell Margaret Howell CBE, RDI (born 5 September 1946, in Tadworth, Surrey, England) is a British fashion designer. Her career, in both men's and women's wear, spans over five decades. Early career “I had always made my own clothes, so the enjo ...

(born 1946), British fashion designer *

Margaret Kempe Howell Margaret Louisa Kempe Howell (January 6, 1806 – November 24, 1867) was an American heiress, planter, and slaveowner who was the mother of Confederate States of America, Confederate First Lady Varina Davis and mother-in-law of Confederate Preside ...

(1806–1867), American heiress, slave owner, and planter * Mark Howell (born 1952), American musician * Markus Howell (born 1975), Canadian football player * Mary Howell (1932–1998), American physician and psychologist * Matilda Howell (1859–1938), American archer * Max Howell (1921–2012), Australian rules footballer * Max Howell (educator) (1927–2014), Australian educator and rugby union player * Mike Howell (born 1943), American footballer * Miles Kristian Howell, British musician * Morton B. Howell (1834–1909), American politician * Myfanwy Howell (1903–1988), Welsh broadcaster

N

* Nancy R. Howell (born c. 1955), American educator * Nathaniel W. Howell (1770–1851), American Federalist politician * Neville Howell, Australian rower *

Nick Howell (football coach) Nicholas Wade Howell (born February 26, 1980) is an American football coach. He is the defensive coordinator at Utah State Coaching career High school Howell began his career coaching high school football. He worked from 2002 to 2006 for Sky ...

(born 1986), American football player * Nick Howell (real tennis) (born 1986), Australian real tennis player

P

* Pat Howell (born 1957), American football player * Pat Howell (baseball) (born 1968), American baseball player * Paul Howell (disambiguation) * Peg Leg Howell (1888–1966), American blues singer and guitarist *

Peter Howell (actor) Peter Norman Bulmer Howell (25 October 1919 – 20 April 2015) was an English actor. Howell was active in film, television, radio and theatre. Biography Early life Born in London, England, he was educated at Winchester College and began study ...

(1919–2015), British actor * Peter Howell (historian) (born 1941), British historian *

Peter Howell (musician) Peter Howell (born 1949) is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on ''Doctor Who'' as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Howell's musical career began in the late 1960s working with John Ferdinando in various psychedel ...

(born c. 1948), British musician and composer

R

Rab Howell Rabbi "Rab" Howell (12 October 1867 – 21 July 1937) was a nineteenth-century professional footballer who played for Sheffield United and Liverpool primarily as a defender. Born in Dore in Sheffield, he was of Romani descent and was the first ...

(1869–1937), British footballer * Ralph Howell (1923–2008), British Conservative politician * Red Howell (1909–1950), American baseball player * Rhoda Pitchlynn Howell (1814–1911), Choctaw rancher and community leader * Richard Howell (1754–1802), American politician; governor of New Jersey from 1794 to 1802 *

Richard Howell (basketball) Richard Howell (; born September 26, 1990) is an American-Israeli professional basketball player who last played for Maccabi Haifa of the Liga Leumit. He played college basketball for the NC State Wolfpack. High school career Howell attended ...

(born 1990), American-Israeli basketball player *

Richard Howell (comics) Richard Howell (born November 16, 1955) is an American comics artist best known as the co-founder and editor of Claypool Comics. Career Richard Howell entered the comics industry in 1977 with his self-published series '' Portia Prinz of the ...

, American comic book creator * Richard Howell (cricketer) (born 1982), English cricketer * Richard Howell (swimmer) (1903–1967), American swimmer * Rob Howell, British costume and set designer * Robert B. Howell (1864–1933), American Republican politician * Rod Howell (born 1975), American dancer * Roger Howell Jr. (1936–1989), American professor * Roland Howell (1892–1973), American baseball player * Ron Howell (Australian footballer) (1919–2015), Australian rules footballer * Ron Howell (Canadian sportsman) (1935–1992), Canadian football and ice hockey player * Ron Howell (footballer, born 1949), English footballer * Rosemary Jessamyn Howell, Australian lawyer and academic *

Roy Howell Roy Lee Howell (born December 18, 1953) is an American former professional baseball third baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1974–1984 for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Milwaukee Brewer ...

(born 1953), American baseball player * Rufus K. Howell (1820–1890), Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court * Russ Howell, American skateboarder

S

Sam Howell Samuel Duke Howell (born September 16, 2000) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels footba ...

(born 2000), American football player * Scott Howell (disambiguation), multiple people * Summer Howell (born 2004), Canadian actress

T

* Taylor Morgan Howell, British musician * Thomas Howell (bishop) (1588–1650), British clergyman * Thomas Howell (poet) (

fl. ''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...

1568), English poet * Thomas Bayly Howell (1767–1815), English lawyer and writer who lent his name to Howell's State Trials *

Thomas J. Howell (botanist) Thomas Jefferson Howell (October 8, 1842 – December 3, 1912) was an American botany, botanist.Makers of American Botany, Harry Baker Humphrey, Ronald Press Company, Library of Congress Card Number 61-18435 Howell is considered one of the to ...

(1842–1912), American botanist * Tommy Howell, British rugby league footballer who played in the 1890s and 1900s

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* Valma Howell (1896–1979), Australian artist *

Varina Howell Varina Anne Banks Davis ( Howell; May 7, 1826 – October 16, 1906) was the only First Lady of the Confederate States of America, and the longtime second wife of President Jefferson Davis. She moved to the presidential mansion in Richmond, ...

(1826–1906), First Lady of the Confederate States of America; wife of CSA President Jefferson Davis * Verdun Howell (born 1937), Australian rules footballer *

David Koresh David Koresh (; born Vernon Wayne Howell; August 17, 1959 – April 19, 1993) was an American cult leader. who played a central role in the Waco siege of 1993. As the head of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect, Koresh claimed to be its fin ...

(born Vernon Howell) (1959–1993), American leader of Branch Davidians religious sect

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* Walter Howell (born 1929), Australian rower *

Wayne Howell Wayne Howell Chappelle (February 16, 1921 – July 8, 1993) was a voice-over announcer for the NBC television and radio networks from 1947 through 1986. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and became one member of a core group of New York-based ...

(1921–1993), American voice-over announcer * William Howell (rugby player) (1863–unknown), Welsh rugby union player *

William Henry Howell William Henry Howell (February 20, 1860 – February 6, 1945) was an American physiologist. He pioneered the use of heparin as a blood anti-coagulant. Early life William Henry Howell was born on February 20, 1860, in Baltimore, Maryland. He gra ...

(1860–1945), American physiologist * William J. Howell (born 1943), American Republican politician * William R. Howell, American businessman * William Roe Howell (1846–1890), American photographer * William Thompson Howell (1810–1870), American jurist and politician * W. Nathaniel Howell (1939–2020), U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait, 1987–1991

Y

* Yvonne Howell (1905–2010), American actress

Given name

* Howell Appling Jr. (1919–2002), American businessman and Republican politician *

Howell Binkley Howell Bagby Binkley (July 25, 1956 – August 14, 2020) was an American lighting designer in modern dance and musical theatre. He received the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a Musical for ''Jersey Boys'' in 2006, and again in 2016 for ' ...

, American lighting designer * Howell Cheney (1870–1957), American businessman *

Howell Cobb Howell Cobb (September 7, 1815 – October 9, 1868) was an American and later Confederate political figure. A southern Democrat, Cobb was a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives and the speaker of the House from 1849 to ...

(1815–1868), American political figure * Howell Cobb (born 1772) (1772–1818), American politician * Howell Cobb (judge) (1922–2005), American judge * Howell Davies (politician) (1851–1932), British Liberal politician * Howell Davies (rugby, born 1885), Welsh rugby player *

Howell Davis Howell Davis (19 June 1719), also known as Hywel and/or Davies, was a Welsh people, Welsh piracy, pirate. His piratical career lasted just 11 months, from 11 July 1718 to 19 June 1719, when he was ambushed and killed. His ships were the ''Cadogan ...

(c. 1690–1719), British pirate * Howell de Francis, Welsh rugby league player * Howell M. Estes II (1914–2007), American general * Howell M. Estes III (born 1941), American general * Howell M. Forgy, USN chaplain * Howell Glynne (1906–1969), British opera singer * Howell Arthur Gwynne (1865–1950), British newspaper editor * Howell Hansel (1860–1917), American film director * Howell Harris (academic), British history professor *

Howell Heflin Howell Thomas Heflin (June 19, 1921 – March 29, 2005) was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Alabama in the United States Senate from 1979 to 1997. Early life Heflin was born on June 19, 1921, i ...

(1921–2005), American Democratic politician *

Howell Hollis Howell T. Hollis (March 18, 1903 – March 11, 1991) was a football player, football and golf coach and administrator at the University of Georgia. As the men's golf coach from 1946 – 1970 his teams won 13 Southeastern Conference champio ...

, American golf coach *

Howell Edmunds Jackson Howell Edmunds Jackson (April 8, 1832 – August 8, 1895) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1893 until his death in 1895. His brief tenure on the Su ...

(1832–1895), American jurist and politician * Howell Jones (1882–1908), Welsh rugby union player *

Howell Lewis Howell Lewis (24 May 1888 – 29 May 1971) was a Wales, Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Swansea RFC, Swansea Rugby Football Club and was capped for Wales national rugby union team, Wales on four occasions. Lewis wa ...

(1888–1971), Welsh rugby union player * Howell Elvet Lewis (1860–1953), Welsh poet and hymn-writer * Howell W. Melton (1923–2015), American judge * Howell W. Melton Jr. (born 1951), American lawyer *

Howell Oakdeane Morrison Howell Oakdeane Morrison (1888–1984), also known as "Morrie" Morrison, was an American musician, dance instructor, impresario and entrepreneur, founder of Seattle-based Morrison Records. From 1912, he was married to songwriter and musician Alic ...

(1888–1984), American musician * Howell Peacock (1889–1962), American basketball coach * Howell Peregrine (1938–2007), British mathematician * Howell Raines (born 1943), American journalist, former Executive Editor of the ''New York Times'' * Howell Tatum (died 1822), Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court * Howell Tong (born 1944), Hong Kong statistician * Howell Arthur John Witt (1920–1998), Australian clergyman

Fictional characters

* Brutus "Brutal" Howell, prison guard played by David Morse in '' The Green Mile'' * Claire Howell, prison guard played by Kristin Rohde on TV's ''Oz'' *

Thurston Howell III Thurston Howell III (mentioned in the opening credits as: "The Millionaire") is a character on the CBS television sitcom '' Gilligan's Island'', which ran from 1964 to 1967, and later in syndication. Portrayal Howell, portrayed by veteran ch ...

, millionaire played by Jim Backus on TV's ''Gilligan's Island'' *

Lovey Howell Lovey Howell (née Wentworth), is a fictional character from the 1964 television show ''Gilligan's Island'' played by Natalie Schafer. The character is a rich socialite married to millionaire businessman Thurston Howell III. Character summar ...

, wife of Thurston, played by Natalie Schafer on ''Gilligan's Island'' * Elliot Howell III, fictional ''Hindenburg'' passenger credited to Colby Chester in the eponymous film * Howell Jenkins, real (given by his parents) name of

Wizard Howl ''Howl's Moving Castle'' is a fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones, first published in 1986 by Greenwillow Books of New York. It was a runner-up for the annual Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and won the Phoenix Award twenty years ...

in the fantasy trilogy ''Howl's Moving Castle'' * Carl Howell, in the TV series ''Glee'', played by

John Stamos John Phillip Stamos ( ; born August 19, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He first gained recognition for his contract role as Blackie Parrish on the ABC television soap opera ''General Hospital'', for which he was nominated for the ...

References

{{given name, type=both English-language surnames Welsh-language surnames Anglicised Welsh-language surnames Surnames of Welsh origin

Etymology and history

Welsh origin

In England

In the British Empire

Geographical distribution

Surname

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

P

R

S

T

V

W

Y

Given name

Fictional characters

See also

References