Wells
A surname for someone who lived by a well or spring, or who came from one of the English places named Wells.
The #147 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 1,752 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Wells is mainly an English surname formed from the word for a spring or well. It can point to someone who lived near a well, or to someone from the towns of Wells in Somerset or Norfolk. The place-name sense goes back to Old English forms such as wylla, meaning “spring” or “fountain.”
History
Medieval records show both the Somerset and Norfolk place-names in early English forms, and surnames like Atwell and Wells developed from residence near a well. The name became common across England and later spread widely through Britain and the English-speaking world. Because wells were important landmarks, related surnames also appear in forms like Atwell and Crosswell.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Somerset town of Wells is especially famous for the spring near the cathedral called St. Andrew's Well.
From the historical record
“spring,' and haga, 'an enclosure.' WELLS (Eng.) Bel. to Wells ; or Dweller at the Springs [O.E. m{i)ell, wylla, a spring, fountain] Both Wells in Somerset and Wells in Norfolk occur in charters of the A.- Sax. period as 'aet Wyllan — dat. of wylla — and WelUs. The Soms. name refers more specifically to a spring…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)