Given name & surname
Jewell
“one who is playful; resembling a precious gem”
Jewell is a variant of Jewel. One French interpretation is “one who is playful; resembling a precious gem.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Jewell is a variant of Jewel. One French interpretation is “one who is playful; resembling a precious gem.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Jewell is a variant of Jewel. An origin associated with Jewel is Old French.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Jewell through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 34,126
- 4,684 boys · 29,442 girls
- Most popular year
- 1920
- 1,004 babies
- 2025
- 19
- #7,651 for girls · #12,872 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −47%
- Cooling
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 21% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 14 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 7,651 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 50.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 893 in 1920. It also appeared in 5 birth records for boys in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 9,252 as a first name in 2020; 22,347 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Jewell’s family of names
Jewell has a related form in Jewel. In English usage, Jewell as a surname has a related form in JOULE.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Jewell
- Jewell LoydAmerican basketball player (born 1993)
- JewellAmerican R&B singer (1968–2022)
- Jewell James EbersAmerican electrical engineer (1921-1959)
- Jewell Parker RhodesAmerican writerborn 1954
- Jewell YoungAmerican basketball player/coach (1913–2003)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Jewell, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Muriel
“of the shining sea”
>99% girls
Lorene
“crowned with laurel; from the laurel tree”
>99% girls
Lilla
Lilla is a variant of Lily. One English interpretation is “resembling the flower; one who is innocent and beautiful.”
>99% girls
Pearl
“a precious gem of the sea”
>99% girls
Mallie
“one who is sweet and gentle” · “star of the sea”
>99% girls
Dovie
“resembling a bird of peace” · “a peaceful man”
>99% girls
Ailene
“light-bearer” · “from the green meadow”
>99% girls
Rosina
“horse” · “fame”
>99% girls