Seawell

The Noble Tribe of Seawell in North America. The name Seawell first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in the county of Worcester. Seawell is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the landscape or area were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the original bearers of the surname Seawell were named due to their close proximity to the river Severn.