ASHWOOD
The surname Ashwood is of English origin, derived from the Old English words æsc meaning “ash” and wudu meaning “wood”. It is therefore a locational surname, indicating that the earliest bearers of the name lived in or near an area characterised by ash trees.
Historical records place the first utilisation of the name in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. In Staffordshire the place now known as Ashwood was recorded in the Close Rolls of 1232 as Aswude and in the Charter Rolls of 1292 as Asshewode. These documents demonstrate the existence of a locality whose name was based on ash trees and whose residents adopted the surname accordingly.
Notable early individuals include William Ashwood who, on 22 April 1665, married Elizabeth Byrch at Penkridge in Staffordshire. Earlier, on 18 January 1589, Lucy Ashwood entered into matrimony with Richard Langton in St. Margaret’s Church on Lothbury, London. The first recorded spelling that can be traced to the family name is that of Hughe Ashwoode, son of John Ashwoode, who was christened on 1 January 1568 at Astley Abbots in Staffordshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
A further example of the name’s antiquity is found in Lancashire where a record dated 1374 mentions William de Asshewode. The surname also appears in the Lancashire Poll Tax of 1379. In France, Ashwood is recorded as the name of a place in Normandy, suggesting that the name was also associated with a particular estate or locality on that continent.
In contemporary times the surname has spread beyond its English origins. It is found throughout the United States and Canada, with a concentration in central and south‑eastern states such as Texas, Florida and California. In Australia it ranks among the top three hundred surnames; similarly, it is present in other members of the Commonwealth, including New Zealand, South Africa, India and Pakistan.
Spelling variations of the name are numerous. Common alternate forms include Aishwood, Ashewood, Ashwoode, Ashwode and Ashewood. Related surnames that arise from the same root or that share the ash tree element encompass Ashe, Ashley, Astwood, Ashmore, Ashworth, Ashman and Ashburne. These variations have arisen through changes in spelling conventions over the centuries yet retain the underlying reference to ash trees.
Overall, the Ashwood surname is neither exceptionally rare nor particularly common; rather, it represents a well‑documented example of a topographical name rooted in the natural landscape of medieval England, with a history that continues to be traced in both Britain and the wider world.
Typical given names associated with the Ashwood surname
Male
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Matthew
- Michael
- Paul
- Perry
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Alison
- Amanda
- Elizabeth
- Hazel
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Natalie
- Rachel
- Sarah
- Valerie
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Ashwood in...
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There are approximately 909 people named Ashwood in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,943rd most common surname in Britain. Around 14 in a million people in Britain are named Ashwood.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Ashwood
- Kenny Ashwood - Football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.