Wood | |
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The most common derivation of the name is from a person who resided or worked near a wood or forest |
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Gender | Unisex |
Language(s) | English |
Origin | |
Language(s) | Middle English |
Derivation | 1. wode 2. wod, wode |
Meaning | 1. "wood", "forest" 2. "mad", "frenzied" |
Other names | |
See also | Boyce, Quill, Woods |
Families | |
Clan Wood |
Wood is a surname in the English language. It is common throughout the world, especially countries with historical links to Britain.
Contents |
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, meaning "wood" (from the Old English wudu).[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 a 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]
Variant forms of the name include the surnames Woodd, Woode, Woods, Wod, and Wode.[2]
In England, Wales and the Isle of Man it 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]