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By Pamela Redmond · Sep 2026

Howell

OriginEnglish variation of Hywel, an eminent Welsh king

Meaning"mind, intellect; fiery one"

About Howell

A familiar and usable last name turned first. Or you could look at it as a homophone of the verb howl, which gives it a wilder feel.

As of October 2026, Howell ranked #6947 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #491 in 1880.

Editor's take: The name Howell is a boy's name of English origin.

Popularity & trends

US popularity — history

US rank, lower is more popular · SSA data 2014–2025

Actual · SSA

20142025

18802025

Data table

Year	US rank	Births	Per million
2014	—	0	0
2015	—	0	0
2016	—	0	0
2017	—	0	0
2018	—	0	0
2019	—	0	0
2020	—	0	0
2021	—	0	0
2022	—	0	0
2023	—	0	0
2024	—	0	0
2025	—	0	0

See the Berry Trend for All Names

Howell on lists

Names That Mean King, Queen, Ruler or Royal

American Last Names

English Last Names

Famous Howells

(Thomas) Howell Cobb
US Speaker of the House; 40th Governor of Georgia; co,founder of the Confederacy
Howell Thomas Heflin
US Senator from Alabama
Howell Stouten Wayans
father of the famous Wayans family
Shawn Howell Wayans
son of actor Marlon Wayans
Christopher "C" Thomas Howell
American actor.

Howell in pop culture

Howell "Howl" Jenkins
character from book/movie "Howl's Moving Castle"
Thurston and Lovey Howell
characters from TV's "Gilligan's Island"
Howell Wizard
character on Bee and Puppycat

Howell in blog posts

Endearing Baby Names: Honey, Sugar & Dove

Save Howell

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