WESTWOOD
Recorded variant spellings include West Wood
Westwood is a surname of English origin. It is formed from the old English words west, meaning “west”, and wudu, meaning “wood”. The name therefore originally described a person who lived to the west of a woodland or in a settlement named Westwood.
In the early medieval period surnames frequently served as geographical markers. Those who resided on the western side of a forest, or whose home fell within a clearing called Westwood, were given the designation Westwood. The name is a classic example of a topographic surname and is first recorded in Norman‑era documents that document the English countryside.
Over time the spelling of the name varied. Common variants that appear in parish registers include Whestwood, Westwold, Westwude and Wwestwode. In some cases the name was transferred from continental Europe and then anglicised; the German form Wesenvald was recorded in English locations where migrants settled. Variants are also found in France (e.g. Ouestbois, Westboiss), Germany (e.g. Westwaldt), Scandinavia (e.g. Vestvoll) and Holland (e.g. Westwoude), all retaining the same basic meaning.
The surname is most widespread in England, where it appears prominently in the West Midlands. In counties such as Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire the name ranks within the top four hundred surnames. Its prevalence reflects the early Anglo‑Saxon settlement of eastern England and the continuity of woodland boundaries recorded in early land deeds.
In the United States the surname is common along the Eastern Seaboard. Census records show that it is among the top one thousand surnames in states such as Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Tennessee. The distribution mirrors the migration patterns of English families to the colonies and later to the mainland during the nineteenth century.
Westwood is also well represented in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the Commonwealth. In each country the name has been anglicised or retained in its original form, and individuals bearing it have contributed to local histories, from politics and commerce to the arts and sciences.
Today the surname Westwood remains a common and recognised name. While it originated as a marker for a particular location in the English landscape, its bearers now belong to a range of ethnic and national backgrounds, demonstrating the mobility and adaptability of families who once lived by a western wood.
Typical given names associated with the Westwood surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- William
Female
- Claire
- Emma
- Jacqueline
- Jennifer
- Joanne
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
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 Westwood in...
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Westwood are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Ringtons Biscuit.
There are approximately 11,524 people named Westwood in the UK. That makes it the 798th most common surname in Britain. Around 177 in a million people in Britain are named Westwood.
Famous people named Westwood
- Vivienne Westwood - Fashion designer and businesswoman
- Lee Westwood - Professional golfer
- Ashley Westwood - Football player and manager
- Keiren Westwood - Irish football player
- Ashley Westwood - Football player
- Ben Westwood - Rugby league player
- Julie Westwood - Actress
- Bill Westwood - Bishop of Peterborough; Bishop of Edmonton; British Anglican bishop (1925 to 1999)
- Eric Westwood - Professional football player (1917 to 2001)
- John O. Westwood - Entomologist and archaeologist (1805 to 1893)
- Ian Westwood - Cricketer
- Chris Westwood - Football player
- Joseph Westwood - Politician (1884 to 1948)
- William Westwood - Bushranger (1820 to 1846)
- Ray Westwood - Football player (1912 to 1)
- Emily Westwood - Football player
- Emily Westwood - Badminton 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.