Show ContentsYowell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Yowell is traditionally believed to be assigned to "children born on Christmas Day." [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

However, the noted author George Black is uncomfortable with this as he notes: " [it] does not satisfy me, but I am at present unable to offer a satisfactory interpretation in place of it. 'It is pretended that the Yuilles are descended of a son of Drumikills, born upon Yuilday. This pretension is adhered to by some of the name of Yuille, by others not.' " [1]

Looking back further, we found that in Sethian Gnosticism, Youel or Yoel is an angel who is described as a male virgin who gives five revelations to protagonists Zostrianos and Allogenes during their visionary ascents to heaven.

Early Origins of the Yowell family

The surname Yowell was first found in on the Isle of Yell, in the Shetlands, but the name quickly scattered throughout due to its etymology. "Johannes Yhole was burgess of Haddington in 1374. Johannes Yhole was chaplain in Aberdeen in 1391, and Simon Youle executed a charter of sale in the same city in 1399. John Yhule one of the 'appretiatores camium' in Aberdeen in 1398 appears in 1400 and 1401 as bailie and burgess of the same city." [1]

In northern England, the following passage appeared in the "curious old dictionary of Blount, called Glassographia: 'In Yorkshire and our other northern parts, they have an old custome after sermon or service on Christmas day; the people will, even in churches, cry Ule, Ule as a token of rejoicing, and the common sort run about the streets singing: 'Ule, Ule, Ule; Three puddings in a pule; Crack nuts and cry Ule.'" [4]

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include an entry for Robertus Youle as holding lands there at that time. [2]

Early History of the Yowell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Yowell research. Another 303 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1430, 1451, 1494, 1503, 1516, 1525, 1550, 1551, 1553, 1577, 1578, 1595, 1608, 1612, 1641, 1655, 1659, 1686, 1711, 1816, 1820 and 1889 are included under the topic Early Yowell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yowell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Yell, Yul, Yuel, Yule, Youll, Yuile, Yuill, Yulle and others.

Early Notables of the Yowell family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Henry Youll (fl. 1608), English musician who seems to have been a household musician in the family of one Edward Bacon, and teacher of his four sons, about the beginning of...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Yowell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yowell Ranking

In the United States, the name Yowell is the 15,287th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [6]


United States Yowell migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Yowell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Yowell, who landed in Maryland in 1640 [7]
  • Tho Yowell, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 [7]
  • Ann, Yowell, who landed in Virginia in 1654 [7]
  • William Yowell, who landed in Virginia in 1654 [7]
Yowell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Everett J. Yowell, aged 25, who settled in America, in 1895
Yowell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Joe E. Yowell, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States, in 1906
  • Julius Yowell, aged 30, who settled in America, in 1911
  • Ira Yowell, aged 35, who landed in America, in 1924

Australia Yowell migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Yowell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Yowell, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [8]

Contemporary Notables of the name Yowell (post 1700) +

  • Skip Yowell (1946-2015), American businessman, co-founder of JanSport, an American brand of backpacks and collegiate apparel
  • Carl Columbus Yowell (1902-1985), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians (1924-1925)
  • Edward J. "Eddie" Yowell (1915-1991), American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer


The Yowell Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Numine et virtute
Motto Translation: By God's providence and by virtue.


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  4. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  5. Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster


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