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Norvel
How to Pronounce Norvel
Pronounced NOR-vuhl /ˈnɔrvəl/Medium
Meaning: Norvel is a variant of Norval, an English surname and place name from Old French and English elements meaning a 'north valley' or 'north town.' Popularized as a first name partly through a character in an eighteenth-century play, it entered American use as a transferred name.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Norvel is a spelling variant of Norval, an English surname read as 'north valley.' Its use as a first name was boosted by young Norval, the shepherd-hero of the eighteenth-century play 'Douglas,' and it settled into American naming as a transferred surname. It appears in United States records from around 1906 and peaks about 1921. It was always rare, given to only a couple dozen boys a year.
Last recorded in the late nineteen-eighties, Norvel spans a grandfather-to-great-grandfather range and has not revived. Its steady two-beat sound sits beside Norval, Orville and Delbert for a parent seeking a plain, dependable vintage boys' name.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Norvel mean?
It is a variant of Norval, an English surname and place name meaning 'north valley.'
How do you pronounce Norvel?
It's said NOR-vuhl /ˈnɔrvəl/, 2 syllables.
Is Norvel a boy or girl name?
Norvel is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Norvel?
It was always rare, given to only a couple dozen boys a year around the early nineteen-hundreds.