Powell (surname)

Powell is a surname of Welsh origin. It is a patronymic from the Welsh first name Howell and the prefix "ap" meaning "son of", ap Howell thus evolved into Powell. At the time of the British Census of 1881, the frequency of the surname Powell was highest in Brecknockshire (21.9 times the British average), followed by Radnorshire, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, Shropshire, Glamorgan, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.