Pronunciation | English: /ˈhaʊəl/ Welsh: [ˈhəu̯.ɛl] |
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Language(s) | Welsh |
Origin | |
Word/name | Celtic, Old Welsh |
Meaning | "Eminent", "prominent" |
Region of origin | Wales, Great Britain |
Motto | Virtus in arduo (Latin for 'Valour in difficulty') |
Other names | |
Variant form(s) | Hoel, Howells, Howel, Howle Hugh, Hywel |
Frequency comparisons:[1] |
Howell (/ˈhaʊəl/, Welsh pronunciation: [ˈhəu̯.ɛl]) is a surname and given name originating from Wales. As a surname, it is not particularly common among those of Welsh ancestry, as it is an anglicized form of the Welsh name Hywel. It originates in a dynasty of kings in Wales and Brittany in the 9th and 10th centuries, most notably king Hywel Dda ("Howel the Good") and three Welsh royal houses of that time onwards. The royal House of Tudor was also descended from them. Today, nearly 200,000 people bear this surname.