Wood (surname)

Wood is a surname in the English language. It is common throughout the world, especially countries with historical links to Great Britain.

This article is about the surname. For a list of people with this surname, see List of people with surname Wood.

Wood
The most common derivation of the name is from a person who resided or worked near a wood or forest.
GenderUnisex
Language(s)English
Origin
Language(s)Middle English
Derivation1. wode
2. wod, wode
Meaning1. "wood", "forest"
2. "mad", "frenzied"
Other names
See alsoBoyce, Quill, Woods

Etymology

For the most part, the surname Wood originated as a topographic name used to describe a person who lived in, or worked in a wood or forest. This name is derived from the Middle English wode, from the Old English wudu meaning "wood" (from the Proto-Germanic word widu).[1] An early occurrence of this surname (of a personal residing near a wood) is de la Wode, recorded in Hertfordshire, England, in 1242.[2] The locational name also appeared in early records Latinised as de Bosco[3] (from the Old French bois, meaning "wood").[4] Another derivation for the surname is from a nickname of an eccentric or violent person, derived from the Old English wōd,[2] wad,[1] and Middle English wod, wode, all meaning "frenzied" or "wild".[1][2] This derivation is considered to be much less common than the locational origin.[2] An early occurrence of the surname derived in this fashion (from a nickname) is le Wode, recorded in Worcestershire, England, in 1221.[1][2]

Variations

Variations of the name include the surnames Woodd, Woode, Woods, Wod, and Wode.[2] The equivalent name in German is Wald, and in many cases, emigrants from the German-speaking countries Anglicized this name to Wood when they settled in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, et cetera. The name "Wald" still exists, too.

The element "wood" occurs in a number of surnames often indicating a place of origin or an occupation: Woodard, Woodburn, Woodby, Woodcock, Woodforde, Woodham, Woodly, Woodman, Woodruff, Woodson, Woodstock, Woodvine, Woodward, and Woodworth.

Other variations include; Blackwood, Eastwood, Greenwood, Inglewood, Hazelwood, Kirkwood, Leatherwood, Northwood, Redwood, Underwood, Westwood.

Popularity

In England and Wales, and on the Isle of Man, Wood is the 26th most-common surname,[5] in Scotland it is the 53rd most-common surname[6] and in the United States the 78th.[7]

References
  1. Learn about the family history of your surname, Ancestry.com, retrieved 11 December 2010 which cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4 for the surname "Wood".
  2. Reaney, Percy Hilde (2006), Wilson, Richard Middlewood (ed.), A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.), London: Routledge, pp. 3474–3475, ISBN 0-203-99355-1
  3. Black, George Fraser (1946), The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History, New York: New York Public Library, p. 822
  4. Learn about the family history of your surname, Ancestry.com, retrieved 11 December 2010 which cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4 for the surname "Boyce".
  5. "Most Common Surnames in England, Wales and the Isle of Man". Behind the Name: The Etymology and History of Surnames. Mike Campbell. 2007. Retrieved 31 March 2007.(cites its source as the 'National Health Service Central Register, using birth and death registers from 1999 to 2001'
  6. "100 Most Common Surnames". General Register Office for Scotland. 4 November 2004. Retrieved 31 March 2007.
  7. "Most Common Surnames in the U.S." Rhett A. Butler. 2006. Retrieved 31 March 2007.(cites its source as the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Population Analysis & Evaluation Staff)
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