Llewellyn
A Welsh surname from a traditional personal name once borne by princes and nobles.
The #5,807 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 51,846 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Llewellyn comes from the old Welsh personal name Llywelyn, later used as an inherited surname. The name is associated with prominent Welsh rulers and magnates, which helped it remain familiar in Welsh tradition. Older surname forms often arose from phrases meaning “son of Llewellyn” or from the personal name itself.
History
The name was long established in Wales before it became a hereditary surname. Historical surname writers note that the surname does not appear widely as an inherited family name until the 16th century, and English records sometimes show variant spellings and anglicized forms. Related surnames and spellings such as Flewellen, Flewelling, and occasional corruptions like Floyd or Flood appear in older sources, though those forms are not always directly equivalent.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Medieval Welsh princes named Llywelyn made the name famous enough that it later survived both as a forename and as a surname.
From the historical record
“leper. LLEWELLYN. A very ancient Welsh personal name, borne by many princes and magnates of Celtic origin. Comp. Howlyn. LOG LLOYD. A well-known Welsh personal name — sometimes corrupted to Floyd and Flood. As an hereditary surname it does not date beyond the XYI. century, yet”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom