Jewell (surname)  Jewell is an English surname, from a Celtic personal name composed of elements meaning ‘lord’ + ‘generous’, ‘bountiful’. The name does not derive from the homophone “jewel.” Notable people with this surname include the following:   Jewell is also occasionally used as a given name (or stage name), peaking in the late 1800s and early 1900s as a unisex given name (like ‘Taylor,’ or ‘Jordan’ in more recent times).