Wells is an English habitational surname but is possibly also from an old English word for Wales. It normally derives from occupation, location, and topography. The occupational name (i.e. "Wellman") derives from the person responsible for a village's spring. The locational name (i.e. "Well") derives from the pre-7th century "" ("spring"). The topographical name (i.e. "Attewell") derives from living near a spring. The oldest public record is found in 1177 in the county of Norfolk. Variations of Wells include Well, Welman, Welles, Wellman and Wellsman. At the time of the British Census of 1881, its relative frequency was highest in Berkshire (3.2 times the British average), followed by Leicestershire, Oxfordshire, Kinross-shire, Huntingdonshire, Kent, Sussex, Lincolnshire, Dumfriesshire and Bedfordshire.
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Origin It is said that the origin is sometimes derived from the city of Wells, but could also be from an old English word for Wales or a habitational surname from any of several places named with the plural of Old English well(a) ‘spring’, ‘stream’, or a topopgraphical name from this word (in its plural form), for example Wells in Somerset or Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk. Translation of French Dupuis or any of its variants. Later an abbey church was built in Wells in 705 by Aldhelm, first bishop of the newly established Diocese of Sherborne during the reign of King Ine of Wessex. It was dedicated to St Andrew and stood at the site of the cathedral's cloisters, where some excavated remains can be seen. Wells gets its name from these springs which can today be found in the gardens of the Bishop's Palace. Wells is the smallest city in England with about 12,000 inhabitants. This was dated 1177, in the pipe rolls of the county of Norfolk, during the reign of Henry II of England, 1154–1189. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original. This probably denoted somebody responsible for looking after the village spring, although not necessarily in any other way associated with the various places called Well or Wells. Early examples of church register recordings include Robert Wells, who was christened on January 7, 1557, at Christchurch Greyfriars, in the city of London, whilst Richard Wellman was recorded at St Georges Chapel, Hanover Square, Westminster, on March 1, 1730.
Variants The old Anglo-Saxon word waella meant spring (rather than a well) and probably a spring associated with a holy place. In Kent and East Anglia this word seems to have been pronounced “wella,” from which has come the surname Wells and, in Sussex, Atwell (at the well).
Bearers of the surname
A Alan Wells (born 1961), English cricketer Alexander H. Wells (d. 1857), New York lawyer, newspaper editor and politician Alexander Wells (baseball) (born 1997), Australian baseball player Alfred Wells (1814–1867), U.S. Representative from New York Alfred Wells (1859–1935), architect in South Australia Alice Wells, American diplomat and U.S. Ambassador to Jordan Alice Stebbins Wells (1873–1957), first female officer in Los Angeles Police Dept Alisa Wells (born Alice Wells; November 26, 1927 – January 5, 1988) Allan Wells (born 1952) Scottish Olympic athlete Alphege of Wells (or Ælfheah, died c.937), third Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Wells Andy Wells (Canadian politician), mayor of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Andy Wells (American politician) (born 1954), politician in North Carolina Andrew Wells, character in the U.S. television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer Angus Wells (1943–2006), British writer of genre fiction, including fantasy and westerns Annie Wells (disambiguation), several people Antwane Wells Jr. (born 2001), American football player Audrey Wells (1960–2018), American screenwriter, film director and producer Austin Wells (born 1999), American baseball player
B Basil Wells (Basil Eugene Wells, 1912–2003), American writer Ben Wells (actor) (born 1982), American television and film actor Ben Wells (American Guitarist) for southern rock band "Black Stone Cherry" Ben Wells (footballer), English footballer Benjamin W. Wells (1856–1923), American scholar and editor Bertram Whittier Wells (1884–1978), American botanist and ecologist Bezaleel Wells (1773–1846), American politician and landowner from Ohio Bill Wells (musician), Scottish musician Bill Wells (footballer) (William George "Bill" Wells, a.k.a. "Bomber" Wells, 1920–2013), Australian Rules footballer Billy Wells (football player) (William Prescott Wells, 1931–2001), American footballer Billy Wells (footballer) (William Charles Richard Wells, 1916–1984), Australian Rules footballer Bob Wells (baseball) (Robert Lee Wells, born 1966), American baseball pitcher Bob Wells (vandweller) (born 1955/1956), American YouTuber Bomber Wells (Bryan Douglas Wells, 1930–2008), English cricketer Bonzi Wells (Gawen DeAngelo Wells, born 1976), American professional basketball player Bowen Wells (born 1935), British politician Briant H. Wells (1871–1949), American major general Bruce Wells (1933–2009), English boxer Bubba Wells (Charles Richard "Bubba" Wells, born 1974), American basketball player Bulkeley Wells (1872–1931), "colourful character"
C
Cal Wells, American businessman Caroline Louise Josephine Wells (1856–1939), first professionally qualified female dentist in Ontario, Canada. Carolyn Wells (1862–1942), American author and poet Casper Wells, American baseball player Charles Wells (disambiguation) Charlie Wells (Charles Wells 1892–1929), Australian Rules footballer Charlie Wells (Charles Harding Wells 1923–2004), Mississippi hardboiled mystery writer Charlotte Fowler Wells, 19th-century American phrenologist and publisher Charlotte Wells, 21st-century Scottish film director Chris Wells (disambiguation) Clara Louisa Wells (c.1850-c.1925), American writer and inventor Clark Henry Wells (1822–1888), U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Claudia Wells (born 1966), American actress Clifford Wells (1896–1977), American basketball coach Clyde Kirby Wells (born 1937), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador Colin Wells (disambiguation) Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (aka "Connie", born 1960), Australian politician Cory Wells (1942–2015), American singer (Three Dog Night) Cyril Wells (1871–1963), English cricketer, rugby footballer and schoolmaster
D
Daniel Wells (disambiguation) David Wells (disambiguation) Dawn Wells (1938–2020), American actress Dean Wells (disambiguation) Deane Wells (born 1949), Australian politician Delores Wells (1937–2016), American model, actress, Playboy Playmate June 1960 Derek Wells (born 1946), Canadian politician, lawyer and businessman Dick Wells (1922–2003), American businessman Dicky Wells (William Wells, 1907–1985), American jazz trombonist Dino Wells (David R. Wells Jr, born 1971), American actor, writer and production assistant Dolly Wells (born 1971), English actress Doris Wells (1943–1988), Venezuelan actress, writer, and director Dustin Wells (born 1983), Australian soccer player
E
EJ Wells and Samantha Brady, fictional characters from the American soap opera Days of our Lives Earle Wells (1933–2021), New Zealand Olympic Gold medallist in yachting Ed Wells (baseball) (1900–1986), American baseball pitcher, nickname "Satchelfoot" Edgar Wells (1908–1995), Methodist missionary in northern Australia Edgar W. Wells, 19th-century American architect and designer Edmund W. Wells (1846–1938), American jurist, businessman, and politician. Edward Wells (theologian) (1667–1727), English mathematician, geographer, and controversial theologian Edward Wells (MP) (1821–1910), English Conservative Party politician, MP for Wallingford 1872–80 Edward Curtis Wells (1910–1986), director of Boeing Company, designer of the Boeing 747 Edward Wells (RNZAF officer) (1916–2005), New Zealand flying ace of the Second World War Emmeline B. Wells (1828–1921), American journalist, editor, poet, women's rights advocate and diarist Erastus Wells (1823–1893), American politician and businessman Erik Wells, contemporary American politician and former television news anchor Evelyn Wells, 20th century biographer and author Evan Wells, best Jewish Overwatch player in Wales
F
Fay Gillis Wells (1908–2002), pioneer aviator, journalist and broadcaster Frank Wells (1932–1994), American entertainment businessman
G
G. Wells (Sussex cricketer), English cricketer active 1814–1821 G. P. Wells, English astronomer (Guy Paul Wells FRAS) G. P. Wells (George Philip Wells, 1901–1985), zoologist, author and son of H. G. Wells Gary L. Wells, American Psychology Professor and Researcher (born 1950) Garrett Wells, fictional attorney on the American TV legal series Boston Legal Gawen DeAngelo "Bonzi" Wells (born 1976), American basketball player Geoffrey of Wells (Galfridius Fontibus), mid-twelfth-century English hagiographer George Wells (disambiguation) Georgeann Wells, American basketball player active in the 1980s Gisa (Bishop of Wells), also spelt Giso, bishop from 1060 to 1088 Greeley Wells (1920–2014), American businessman and politician Greg Wells (born 1968), Canadian musician and record producer Greg Wells (baseball) (born 1954), American baseball player Greg Wells (footballer, born 1950), Australian rules footballer Greg Wells (footballer, born 1952), Australian rules footballer Guilford Wiley Wells (1840–1909), U.S. Representative from Mississippi
H Harrison Wells, a fictional character Harry Wells (disambiguation) Heber Manning Wells (1859–1938), American politician, first governor of Utah Helen Wells (1910–1986), author of nurse Cherry Ames books, a series for young teens Helena Wells, later Whitford (1761?- 1824), American-English novelist and writer Henry Wells (disambiguation) Herbert George Wells (H. G. Wells, 1866–1946), prolific British science fiction writer and Fabian socialist Herbert Wells (soccer) (1901–1978), U.S. soccer player Herman B Wells (1902–2000), 11th president of Indiana University Holly Wells (1991–2002), British murder victim in the 2002 Soham murders Horace Wells (1815–1848), pioneering American dentist Horatio Wells (1807–1858), American lawyer and politician Hugh de Wells, (d. 1235), medieval Bishop of Lincoln. Humphrey Wells, former Governor of Georgia
I
Ida B. Wells (1862–1931), African American civil rights leader Ima Wells (1936–2014), American educator and politician Ira K. Wells (1871–1934), American lawyer and federal judge
J
J. Wells (born Jon Wells, 1982), record producer and occasional rapper Jabez H. Wells (1853–1930), American politician and curler Jack Wells (disambiguation) Jair-Rôhm Parker Wells (born 1958), American free jazz bassist, composer and conceptualist James Wells (disambiguation) James Babbage Wells Jr. (1850–1923), Texan judge James L. Wells, New York State Treasurer 1915–1920 James Madison Wells, Louisiana governor 1865–1867 James Murray Wells, English entrepreneur (Glasses Direct) James Pearson Wells (1822–1896), Canadian farmer and political figure Jane Sinclair Wells (born 1952) British composer and saxophonist Jane Wells (born 1961), CNBC business news reporter Jared Wells (born 1981), American baseball pitcher Jason Wells (disambiguation) Jay Wells (born 1959), Canadian ice hockey player Jaylen Wells (born 2003), American basketball player Jayson Wells (born 1976), American basketball player Jean Wells, American artist Jeremy Wells (born 1977), New Zealand television personality Jerold Wells (1908–1999), English actor Jerry Lee Wells (1944–2014), American basketball player Jim L. Wells, American sports radio host Jim Wells (politician) (born 1957), Irish politician Jim Wells (baseball) (born 1955), American baseball coach Jo Bailey Wells British Anglican bishop and theologian Jocelin of Wells (died 1242), medieval Bishop of Bath and Wells Jodie Wells and Pearl Wells, in Jacqueline Wilson's book My Sister Jodie Joey Wells (born 1965), Bahamian long jumper