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{{Short description|Surname and given name of Welsh origin}}
{{Infobox surname|name=Howell|meaning="Eminent", "prominent"|region=[[Wales]], [[Great Britain]]|language=Welsh|variant=[[Hoel]], [[Howells (surname)|Howells]], [[Howel]], [[Howle]] [[Hugh (disambiguation)|Hugh]], [[Hywel]]|footnotes=Frequency comparisons:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://forebears.co.uk/surnames/howell |title=Howell Surname Meaning and Distribution |publisher=forebears.co.uk}} Retrieved 21 January 2014</ref>|motto=''Virtus in arduo''<br />([[Latin]] for 'Valour in difficulty')|pronunciation={{IPAc-en|lang|ˈ|h|aʊ|ə|l}} {{respell|HOW|əl}}<br>{{IPA|cy|ˈhəu.ɛl|lang}}|derivation=|image=File:Coat of Arms of Edward Howell.svg|caption=An example of a Howell family Coat of Arms: Gules, three towers, tripled towered, argent. (the Coat of Arms for [[Edward_Howell_(died_1655)|Edward Howell]], Lord of Westbury)|origin=[[Celtic_languages|Celtic]], [[Old Welsh]]}}

'''Howell''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|aʊ|ə|l}} {{respell|HOW|əl}}, {{IPA|cy|ˈhəu.ɛl|lang}}) is a surname and given name originating from [[Wales]]. It is an [[Anglicisation|anglicised]] 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.

== Etymology and history ==

=== Welsh origin ===
The name Howell originates from the [[Welsh language|Welsh]] masculine given name, Hywel, meaning "eminent" or "prominent", derived from the [[Old Welsh]] given name, Higuel.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Mike |title=Meaning, origin and history of the name Hywel |url=https://www.behindthename.com/name/hywel |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=Behind the Name |language=en}}</ref> Literally meaning, [[wiktionary:hy-#Welshhy|''hy-'']] (“good”) + [[wiktionary:gwêl#Welsh|''gwêl'']] (“sight”), "well-seen".

The first known recording of the name comes in the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'', referring to a [[Brittonic Peoples|Brittonic]] king known as [[Huwal of the West Welsh]] in 926 AD.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Surname Database: Howell Last Name Origin |url=https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Howell |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=The Internet Surname Database}}</ref> Many scholars believe this to be referring to the 10th-century law giving Welsh king, [[Hywel Dda]],<ref name="CharlesEdwards">{{cite book |last=Charles-Edwards |first=T. M. |title=Wales and the Britons 350-1064 |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-19-821731-2 |place=Oxford |pages=510–511 |author-link=Thomas Charles-Edwards}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |year=1991 |title=Hywel (Dda) ap Cadell king of Deheubarth d. 950 |encyclopedia=A Biographical Dictionary of Dark Age Britain |publisher=Seaby |last=Kirby |first=D. P. |editor1=Ann Williams |isbn=1-85264-047-2 |editor2=Alfred P. Smyth |editor3=D. P. Kirby}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Foot |first=Sarah |title=Æthelstan: the first king of England |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-300-12535-1 |page=20 |author-link=Sarah Foot}}</ref> to which many Howells claim their descent from.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Howell Surname Meaning, History & Origin |url=https://selectsurnames.com/howell/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Select Surnames |language=en-US}}</ref> He is the most famous historical bearer of the name, and was recorded with the title [[King of the Britons]] 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 [[wiktionary:ap#Welsh|''ap'']], for example: [[Owain ap Hywel Dda|Owain ap Hywel]] ("Owain son of Hywel").<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bardsley |first=Charles Wareing Endell |url=https://archive.org/details/adictionaryengl00goog/page/618/mode/2up |title=A dictionary of English and Welsh surnames |publisher=H. Frowde |year=1896 |pages=618 |language=en |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> The [[Latin mottos|Latin motto]] for the Howell family name is ''Virtus in arduo'' (variously translated as "Valour in difficulty", "Strength in difficulty" or "Virtue in difficulty").<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fairbairn |first=James |url=https://archive.org/details/fairbairnsbookof01fair/ |title=Fairbairn's Book of Crests of the families of Great Britain and Ireland |publisher=T. C. & E. C. Jack |year=1905 |edition=4th |pages=90 |language=en}}</ref> Howell (and its variant forms) as a given name has been popular in honour of Hywel Dda since the [[Middle Ages]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Howell Name Meaning & Howell Family History |url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/name-origin?surname=howell |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=www.ancestry.co.uk}}</ref>

In [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]]'s 12th-century pseudohistorical ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae|Historia regum Britanniae]]'', 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]] and the [[Matter of Britain]] as a "[[king of Brittany]]". He is considered a [[Welsh saint]] and was said to have been a relative of the legendary [[King Arthur]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Geoffrey of Monmouth |author-link=Geoffrey of Monmouth |orig-date=Late 12th century |title=Historia regum Britanniae |trans-title=History of the Kings of Britain |url=https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/bnf-english-copy-of-geoffrey-of-monmouths-history-of-the-kings-of-britain |access-date=2023-02-23 |website=British Library |language=Latin}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ford |first=David Nash |title=Hywel the Great of Brittany |url=https://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/bios/hoel1by.html |access-date=2023-02-23 |website=Early British Kingdoms}}</ref>

=== In England ===
After the [[Conquest of Wales by Edward I|English Conquest of Wales]] in the 13th-century, followed by the [[Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542]] in the 16th-century, Wales was incorporated into the [[Kingdom of England]]. This resulted in the migration of Howells into Western England from Wales, particularly in counties along the [[English-Welsh border|Anglo-Welsh border]].<ref name=":0" /> Many settlers anglicized their surnames from their original Welsh forms, such as "Hywel" to instead "Howell".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Howell Surname Origin, Meaning & Last Name History |url=https://forebears.io/surnames/howell#meaning |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=forebears.io}}</ref> In the Eastern English counties, the name was brought by [[Bretons|Breton]] settlers after the [[Norman Conquest]]. The [[Breton language|Breton]] forms of the name were Houuel, Huwel, Huwal, and Howael.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Howell Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms |url=https://www.houseofnames.com/howell-family-crest |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=HouseOfNames |date=January 2000 |language=EN}}</ref> There is also a claim for the surname having separate English origins, from the place-name [[Howell, Lincolnshire|Howell]] found in [[Lincolnshire]] and derived from the [[Old English]], ''hugol'' meaning “mound” or “hillock.”<ref name=":0" />

=== In the British Empire ===
As a result of [[English overseas possessions|English colonialism]] and subsequently, the [[British Empire]], 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 States]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Howell Diaspora - 2014 |url=https://forebears.io/surnames/howell#place-tab-2014 |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=forebears.io}}</ref> However, during the period of [[Bristol slave trade|slavery in the British colonies]], many slaves were known by the surname of their masters, or adopted those surnames upon their [[Slavery Abolition Act 1833|emancipation]]. Some descendants of these formerly enslaved peoples, continue to bear these surnames today, particularly in countries in the [[West Indies]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ancestors from the Caribbean - Ethnicity and Surnames |url=https://www.archives.norfolk.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/maritime-and-overseas/ancestors-from-the-caribbean/ethnicity-and-surnames |website=[[Norfolk Record Office]]}}</ref>

== Geographical distribution ==
As of 2014, over 74.0% of all known bearers of the surname Howell were residents of the [[United States]], 12.3% are in the [[British Isles]] (10.4% in [[England]], 1.3% in [[Wales]], 0.2% in [[Scotland]], 0.2% in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], 0.2% in [[Northern Ireland]]) 4.6% in [[Australia]], 3.0% in [[Canada]], 1.7% in [[Jamaica]], 0.8% in [[South Africa]] and 0.7% in [[New Zealand]].<ref name=":1" />
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Country
!1880-81
!% of Howells
!2014
!% of Howells
!% Pop. Change 1880–2014
|-
|{{flagicon|United States}}
|[[United States]]
|22,965
|64.5%
|144,930
|74.0%
| +531.1%
|-
|{{flagicon|England}}
|[[England]]
|10,134
|28.5%
|20,399
|10.4%
| +101.3%
|-
|{{flagicon|Wales}}
|[[Wales]]
|2,373
|6.7%
|2,461
|1.3%
| +3.7%
|-
|{{flagicon|Australia}}
|[[Australia]]
| rowspan="5" |no data
| rowspan="5" |no data
|9,137
|4.6%
| rowspan="6" | not applicable
|-
|{{flagicon|Canada}}
|[[Canada]]
|5,968
|3.0%
|-
|{{flagicon|Jamaica}}
|[[Jamaica]]
|3,344
|1.7%
|-
|{{flagicon|South Africa}}
|[[South Africa]]
|1,669
|0.8%
|-
|{{flagicon|New Zealand}}
|[[New Zealand]]
|1,320
|0.7%
|-
| colspan="2" |Other countries
|132
|0.3%
|6,558
|3.3%
|-
! colspan="2" |Total<ref name=":1" />
!35,604
!100%
!195,786
!100%
!+449.9% (total)
|}

Notable people with the name include:

== Surname ==
{{TOC right}}

=== 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)]] (born 1971), British TV actor
* [[Anthony Howell (performance artist)]] (born 1945), British performance artist
* [[Arlene Howell]] (born 1939), American TV actress
* [[Arthur H. Howell]] (1872–1940), American zoologist

=== B ===
* [[Bailey Howell]] (born 1937), American basketball player
* [[Benny Howell]] (born 1988), English cricketer
* [[Benjamin Franklin Howell]] (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]] (1905–1964), American football player
* [[Dark Stares|Brett Harland Howell]], British musician
* [[Buddy Howell]] (born 1996), American football player

=== C ===
* [[C. Thomas Howell]] (born 1966), American actor
* [[Carla Howell]] (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]] (born 1979), American golfer
* [[Charles Andrew Howell III]] (1930–2011), American businessman
* [[Charles Augustus Howell]] (1840–1890), British-Portuguese art dealer
* [[Charles Henry Howell]] (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]] (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]] (born 1991), British vlogger and BBC Radio 1 presenter
* [[Daniel Howell (Wisconsin politician)]] (1807–1890), Wisconsin state senator
* [[David Howell, Baron Howell of Guildford]] (born 1936), British Conservative politician
* [[David Howell (British Army officer)]], British barrister and officer
* [[David Howell (chaplain)]] (1929–2017), Anglican priest and writer
* [[David Howell (chess player)]] (born 1990), British chess grandmaster
* [[David Howell (footballer)]] (born 1958), English footballer
* [[David Howell (golfer)]] (born 1975), English golfer
* [[David Howell (jurist)]] (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]] (1912–1971), American football player
* [[Dixie Howell (catcher)]] (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 Rodham|Dorothy Emma Howell]] (1919–2011), American homemaker and mother of [[Hillary Clinton]]
* [[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|Ella Mai Howell]] (born 1994), English singer-songwriter
* [[Evan Howell]] (1839–1905), American politician, early telegraph operator and officer in the Confederate Army

=== F ===
* [[Francis Howell (disambiguation)]], several people
* [[Francis Clark Howell]] (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)]] (born 1945), American entrepreneur
* [[George Howell (Pennsylvania politician)]] (1859–1913), American Republican politician
* [[George Howell (soldier)]] (1893–1964), Australian soldier
* [[George Howell (trade unionist)]] (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]] (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)]] (1932–2019), Canadian ice hockey player
* [[Henry Howell]] (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)]] (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)]] (born 1979), American illustrator, animator, cartoonist, and artist
* [[Jennifer Howell]], Canadian-American voice actor
* [[Robert Berdella#First known victim|Jenny Howell]] (died 1984), American murder victim
* [[Jeremiah B. Howell]] (1771–1822), U.S. Senator from Rhode Island
* [[Jim Lee Howell]] (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)]] (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]] (1903–1994), American botanist
* [[John White Howell]] (1857–1937), American electrical engineer
* [[Maximum Love|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]], Canadian politician
* [[Kirby Howell-Baptiste]], 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]] (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
* [[Malcolm Clifford Howell]] (1895–1976), American pursuit pilot
* [[Margaret Howell]] (born 1946), British fashion designer
* [[Margaret Kempe Howell]] (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
* [[Dark Stares|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)]] (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)]] (1919–2015), British actor
* [[Peter Howell (historian)]] (born 1941), British historian
* [[Peter Howell (musician)]] (born c. 1948), British musician and composer

=== R ===
* [[Rab Howell]] (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)]] (born 1990), American-Israeli basketball player
* [[Richard Howell (comics)]], 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]] (born 1953), American baseball player
* [[Rufus K. Howell]] (1820–1890), Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court
* [[Russ Howell]], American skateboarder

=== S ===
* [[Sam Howell]] (born 2000), American football player
* [[Scott Howell (disambiguation)]], multiple people
* [[Summer Howell]] (born 2004), Canadian actress

=== T ===
* [[Maximum Love|Taylor Morgan Howell]], British musician
* [[Thomas Howell (bishop)]] (1588–1650), British clergyman
* [[Thomas Howell (poet)]] ([[Floruit|fl.]] 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)]] (1842–1912), American botanist
* [[Tommy Howell]], British rugby league footballer who played in the 1890s and 1900s

=== V ===
* [[Valma Howell]] (1896–1979), Australian artist
* [[Varina Howell]] (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]] (born Vernon Howell) (1959–1993), American leader of Branch Davidians religious sect

=== W ===
* [[Walter Howell]] (born 1929), Australian rower
* [[Wayne Howell]] (1921–1993), American voice-over announcer
* [[William Howell (rugby player)]] (1863–unknown), Welsh rugby union player
* [[William Henry Howell]] (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 ==
{{anchor|Howell (given name)}}<!--If this section is renamed, please change the redirect accordingly -->

* [[Howell Appling Jr.]] (1919–2002), American businessman and Republican politician
* [[Howell Binkley]], American lighting designer
* [[Howell Cheney]] (1870–1957), American businessman
* [[Howell Cobb]] (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]] (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
* [[Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition#Origin|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]] (1921–2005), American Democratic politician
* [[Howell Hollis]], American golf coach
* [[Howell Edmunds Jackson]] (1832–1895), American jurist and politician
* [[Howell Jones]] (1882–1908), Welsh rugby union player
* [[Howell Lewis]] (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]] (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 (film)|The Green Mile]]''
* [[Claire Howell]], prison guard played by Kristin Rohde on TV's ''Oz''
* [[Thurston Howell III]], millionaire played by Jim Backus on TV's ''Gilligan's Island''
* [[Lovey Howell]], wife of Thurston, played by Natalie Schafer on ''Gilligan's Island''
* Elliot Howell III, fictional ''Hindenburg'' passenger credited to Colby Chester in [[The Hindenburg (film)|the eponymous film]]
* Howell Jenkins, real (given by his parents) name of [[Wizard Howl]] in the fantasy trilogy ''Howl's Moving Castle''
* Carl Howell, in the TV series ''Glee'', played by [[John Stamos]]

== See also ==
{{canned search|Howell}}
* [[Admiral Howell (disambiguation)]]
* [[General Howell (disambiguation)]]
* [[Judge Howell (disambiguation)]]
* [[Justice Howell (disambiguation)]]
* [[Senator Howell (disambiguation)]]
* [[Powell (surname)]] ({{langx|cy|ap Hywell||son of Howell}}){{srt|1}}
* [[Howells (disambiguation)]]
* [[Howel]], disambiguation
* [[Welsh surnames]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{given name|type=both}}

[[Category:English-language surnames]]
[[Category:Welsh-language surnames]]
[[Category:Anglicised Welsh-language surnames]]
[[Category:Surnames of Welsh origin]]