ðə nˈeɪm jˈuːɛl ɪz dᵻɹˈaɪvd fɹʌmðɪ ˈoʊld ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ wˈɜːd ˈæwiːlm, mˈiːnɪŋ ɹˈɪvɚ sˈoːɹs ɔːɹ spɹˈɪŋ, ænd ɪz sˌoʊ kˈɔːld bɪkˈʌz wˈʌn ʌvðə sˈoːɹsᵻz ʌvðə ɹˈɪvɚ dˈaʊɚ ɹˈaɪzᵻz ɔnðə vˈɪlɪdʒ ˈaʊtskɜːts æɾə plˈeɪs kˈɔːld wˈɔːɾɚsˌɛnd ænd flˈoʊz θɹuː ðə vˈɪlɪdʒ təwˈɔːɹdz dˈoʊvɚ.
The name Ewell is derived from the Old English word ǣwielm, meaning river source or spring, and is so called because one of the sources of the River Dour rises on the village outskirts at a place called Watersend and flows through the village towards Dover.