Stowell Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Origins of Stowell:
Listed as Stawell, Stowell, and Stowelle, this is an English surname.  It is locational from any of the several places named with the Olde English pre 7th Century “stan”, meaning stony, and “wella”, a spring or stream.  These places contain as Stowell near Northleach in Gloucestershire, listed as “Stanuuella” in the Domesday Book of 1086. Stowell in Somerset, appearing as “Stanwelle” in the Domesday Book, Stowell in Wiltshire, entered as “Stowelle” in the Charter Rolls of that county, dated 1300, and also Stawell, near Bridgewater, Somerset, noted respectively as “Stawelle” in the Domesday Book, and as “Stanwelle” in the 1279 Hundred Rolls of Somerset.  The “n” was frequently lost before “w” as many of the above records show. Locational surnames advanced when old inhabitants of a place moved to another area, usually to search for work, and best identified by the name of their birthplace.  Early examples of the surname include as Richard de Stawell (Wiltshire, 1273) and Lecia Stowelle (Cambridgeshire, 1273).  In 1591, one John Stowell of Somerset entered in the “Oxford University Register”.

Variations:
More common variations are: Stoweull, Stowuell, Stowwell, Stowellw, Stowel, Stoell, Stwell, Stowll, St Howell, Sitwell.

England:
The surname Stowell first discovered in Somerset where they were Lords of the estate of Cothelston and held a family seat at that location centuries before the Norman Success of England in 1066 AD. The very first recording spelling of the family was shown to be that of Adam de Stawell, dated 1272,  in the Hundred Rolls of Somerset.  It was during the reign of King Edward 1, who was known as “The Hammer of the Scots”.  Surname all over the country became a necessity with the introduction of personal taxation.  It came to be known as Poll Tax in England.  Surnames all over the country began to develop with unique and shocking spelling varieties of the original one.

United States of America:
Individuals with the surname Stowell landed in the United States in four different centuries respectively in 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th.    Some of the people with the name Stowell who arrived in the United States in the 17th century included Samuel Stowell, who arrived in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1635.  Samuel Stowell settled in Hingharn Massachusetts in 1640.  Ralph Stowell who settled in Virginia in 1641.  Ralph Stowell, who landed in Virginia in 1641.  Jonath Stowell, who arrived in Virginia in 1652. People with the surname Stowell who landed in the United States in the 18th century included Barth Stowell, who landed in Virginia in 1705.  Caleb Stowell, who arrived in South Carolina in the year 1728.  Caleb Stowell settled in South Carolina in the year 1728. The following century saw more Stowell surnames arrive.  Some of the people with the surname Stowell who arrived in the United States in the 19th century included L Stowell, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851.  C. Stowell settled in San Francisco, California in the year 1862.  People with the surname Stowell who landed in the United States in the 20th century included George Stowell, who landed in Arkansas in 1903.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

(Dublin; reg. Ulster’s Office, as the arms of Alderman William Stowell). Gules a cross masculee argent. Crest: A dove, wings expanded argent holding in the beak an olive branch proper.