Birdwell
An English surname probably meaning “bird spring” or “bird’s well,” from a place-name or topographic feature.
The #7,655 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 71,156 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Birdwell is most likely an English habitational surname from a place-name built from Old English elements meaning “bird” and “spring/well.” In many cases the first element may refer to birds generally, or in some older place-names it may reflect an earlier personal name or a descriptive byname. The surname therefore most likely began as a label for someone who lived near, or came from, a place called Birdwell.
History
Birdwell is established as an English surname and is also associated with Birdwell in Yorkshire, which helped fix the name as a locational family name. Like many English place-based surnames, it would have spread beyond its original locality as people moved within Britain and later overseas. It is now found in the United States as well as in England.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Birdwell is also the name of a village in South Yorkshire, which likely reinforced the surname’s locational use.