Stillwell
An English surname meaning “one who lived by a still, constant spring.”
The #4,883 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 42,816 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Stillwell comes from Old English elements meaning “still” or “constant” plus “well” or “spring.” The name originally described someone who lived near a spring that flowed steadily rather than intermittently. Harrison’s dictionary treats it as a habitational or topographic surname of English origin.
History
The name is English in origin and later spread through Britain and to North America. By the 19th century it was established enough to appear in surname dictionaries and in American records. The form has remained fairly stable, with Stillwell as the standard spelling.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A surname built from the idea of a reliable spring is a nice example of how many English family names began as simple landscape descriptions.
From the historical record
“STILLMAN = Still (q.v.) + E. man. STILLWELL1 (Eng.) Dweller at the CoN- STILWELL Jstant Spring (one not in- termittent) [O.E. stille, constant, etc. -f w(i)ella, a spring] ItImSOn'^}^"'^ Stinson, Steenson, q.v. STINSON, V. Steenson. STIRK "[(Eng.) a nickname (or sign-name) STIRKE J from the Bullock or Heifer [O.E.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)