A name particularly identified from ancient times with Wales, ‘Powell’ nevertheless features prominently in the historical record of a number of other nations.
From the stage and sport to music, literature and politics, bearers of the name have achieved fame, honours and distinction.
Born in London in 1857, Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, was the founder of what is now the worldwide Scouting Movement and whose 1908 book Scouting for Boys holds the record as the fourth best-selling book of the twentieth century.
In contemporary times, Colin Powell is the retired American four-star general and statesman who commanded U.S. forces during the first war against Iraq known as Operation Desert Storm, and who served from 2001 to 2006 as Secretary of State under President George Bush – the first African-American to hold the post.
