Contents [hide]

Cowell History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Cowell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
England

Cowell was first used as a surname by descendants of the Pictish people of ancient Scotland. The ancestors of the Cowell family lived in Coull, a parish, in the district of Kincardine O'Neil, county of Aberdeen. "This place is supposed to have taken its name, which signifies a "corner," from its situation in the south-eastern extremity of the district of Cromar." 1

Early Origins of the Cowell family

The surname Cowell was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), where one of the first records of the family was "William de Cull [who] was one of the witnesses to a charter by John, Earl of Huntington to Norman filius Malcolm of the lands of Lesslyn etc., between 1219-1237." 2

Coull Castle was an 13th-century castle to the south of Coull. Only traces of the castle can be found today.

Some of the first records of the family in Scotland include: John Cowl who possessed a tenement in Glasgow in 1458, and Sir John Cowill, a cleric, was witness in Aberdeen, 1567. Patrick Coule at Newburgh is mentioned in the Lindores Chartulary in 1479. David Cowle, a native of Scotland, had letters of naturalization in England in 1481, and in the same year Alexander Coule was admitted burgess of Aberdeen." 2

Further south in northern England, the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332 listed John de Couhill, of Rishton, Lancashire; and John de Coule, of Blackburn, Lancashire, 1332. 3

"The Cowells of Lancashire probably take their name from Cowhill, a district and seat in Lancashire." 4

Early History of the Cowell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cowell research. Another 173 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1219, 1479, 1481, 1554, 1567, 1570 and 1611 are included under the topic Early Cowell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cowell Spelling Variations

Repeated and inaccurate translation of Scottish names from Gaelic to English and back resulted in a wide variety of spelling variations with single names. Cowell has appeared Coull, Coul, Cowill, Cowell, Cull, Cowles, Cowl, Cowle and many more.

Early Notables of the Cowell family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

John Cowell (1554-1611), civilian, born in 1554 at Ernsborough, Devonshire, left Eton College in 1570 for King's College, Cambridge5...

Cowell Ranking

In the United States, the name Cowell is the 4,651^st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 6

Cowell migration to the United States +

Many Scottish families suffered enormous hardships and were compelled to leave their country of birth. They traveled to Ireland and Australia, but mostly to the colonies of North America, where many found the freedom and opportunity they sought. It was not without a fight, though, as many were forced to stand up and defend their freedom in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of these Scots abroad have rediscovered their heritage in the last century through the Clan societies and other organizations that have sprung up across North America. Immigration and passenger ship lists show some important early immigrants bearing the name Cowell:

Cowell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Elizabeth Cowell, who landed in Virginia in 1645 7
Edward Cowell, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1655 7
John Cowell, who landed in Maryland in 1663 7
Eleanor Cowell, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 7
William Cowell, who landed in Maryland in 1678 7

Cowell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Savena Cowell, aged 24, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 7
Mud Cowell, aged 32, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 7
Con and Anna Cowell and three children arrived in Philadelphia in 1733
Ann Catranna Cowell, aged 3, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 7
Ann Elizh Cowell, aged 23, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cowell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J Cowell, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 7

Cowell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cowell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Abraham Cowell U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 8

Cowell migration to Australia +

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

Cowell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Ann Cowell, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
James Cowell, English convict from Essex, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 17, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 10
Mr. William Cowell, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
John Cowell, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Argyle" on March 5th, 1831, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 12
Mr. James Cowell, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th July 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cowell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Cowell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Ralph Cowell, aged 32, a dairyman, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1850
Martha Cowell, aged 29, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1850
Mr. T. Cowell, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Norman Morrison" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand, Via Wellington and Lyttleton in 1854 14
Mr. Cowell, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Norman Morrison" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand, Via Wellington and Lyttleton in 1854 14
Mrs. Cowell, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Norman Morrison" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand, Via Wellington and Lyttleton in 1854 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cowell (post 1700) +

Stanley Cowell (1941-2020), American jazz pianist and co-founder of the Strata-East Records label
Robert Elmer "Bob" Cowell (1924-1960), American silver medalist backstroke swimmer at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Warren C. "Brady" Cowell (1899-1989), American college football, basketball, and baseball coach
John G. Cowell (1785-1814), American officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812, eponym of the USS Cowell (DD-139), the USS Cowell (DD-167) and the USS Cowell (DD-547)
John F. Cowell (1852-1915), American botanist
Janet Cowell (b. 1968), American politician, North Carolina State Treasurer (2008)
Stanley Cowell (b. 1941), American jazz pianist
Henry Dixon Cowell (1897-1965), American composer
Robert Cowell, American politician, Member of Nebraska Railway Commission, 1907 15
Richard Cowell, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1960 15
... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Cowell family +

HMS Cornwall

Frank Edwin Cowell (d. 1942), British Warrant Officer Gunner aboard the HMS Cornwall when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 16

The Cowell 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: Cole Deum
Motto Translation: Worship God.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1823
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Argyle voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1831 with 251 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/argyle/1831
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A