Norwood
What is the origin of the last name Norwood?
Meaning and origin
The last name Norwood has its origin in Old English and derives from the combination of two elements: "norð," meaning "north," and "wudu," meaning "wood" or "forest." This suggests that the surname originally referred to individuals living or working in the northernmost woods or forests of a particular region. The geographical connotation of the name may also imply connections to specific locations or the availability of certain resources.
The longer story
The last name Norwood is of English origin and is primarily a locational surname. It is derived from the Old English words "norð" meaning "north" and "wudu" meaning "wood" or "forest."
The earliest known recorded spelling of the Norwood surname is "de Northwode," which appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, England in 1170. Over the centuries, the spelling and variation of the name have evolved and include variations such as Norwode, Northwood, Norwod, and many others.
Representative from Alabama's 7th congressional district from 1993 to 2003.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#1,596
Norwood was the 1,596th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 22,461 people, about 7.3 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Norwood
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Norwood is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.