Howells
/ˈhaʊəlz/noun
Howells is a Welsh patronymic surname meaning “son or descendant of Howell.”
Did you know?The name ultimately traces to Hywel Dda, the tenth-century Welsh king traditionally associated with codifying Welsh law.
Etymological Timeline
10th Century
Old Welsh
Hywel
“A Welsh personal name, probably conveying eminence or prominence; its precise original analysis is uncertain.”
10th Century
Welsh
Hywel Dda
““Hywel the Good,” the royal name associated with the Welsh king and lawgiver.”
Middle Welsh
Welsh
Hywel
“The continuing medieval Welsh form of the personal name.”
12th–14th Century
Anglo-Norman Welsh
Howel / Howell
“Anglicized spellings of the Welsh personal name Hywel.”
14th–16th Century
English and Welsh
Howell’s
“A patronymic expression meaning “Howell’s son” or “of Howell.””
Modern English
English
Howells
“A hereditary Welsh surname formed from the patronymic Howell.”