WOODWARD
Recorded variant spellings include Wood Ward, Wood-Ward
Woodward is an English surname of occupational origin, derived from the Old English words wudu, meaning “wood”, and weard, meaning “guardian” or “warden”. Accordingly the name was originally applied to a person who lived near or served as the guardian of a forest, a role that was highly respected in medieval society.
The medieval occupation of forester was essential for the protection of the king’s or lord’s woodlands, where game and timber were carefully preserved against poachers. The New Forest in Hampshire, established for royal use, is a well documented example of a protected woodland, where any infringement could result in severe punishment, often death. The position of forester, and by extension the surname Woodward, carried considerable prestige because it was tied directly to the maintenance of valuable natural resources and to the authority of the crown.
The earliest known record of the surname dates from 1208, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire during the reign of King John. The entry is “Sewhal le Wudeward”, reflecting an early orthographic variant. This shows that the name was already in use as a hereditary surname by the early thirteenth century.
In the seventeenth century, one Christopher Woodward emigrated from London aboard the ship Tryall in June 1620, becoming an early settler in Virginia. His departure marked the beginning of the name’s presence outside Britain and it is recorded in several early colonial documents.
A grant of Arms was made to a Woodward family of Woodmarsh, Kent. The escutcheon is described as a silver shield with a black chevron between three green grasshoppers. The crest features a demi woman, couped at the knees, wearing red garments, with dishevelled golden hair, holding a honeysuckle in her right hand. This heraldic badge illustrates the family’s long establishment in Kent and reflects the symbolic connection of the surname with the natural world.
Throughout the centuries, the Woodward name persisted in parish registers and legal documents across the British Isles. The surname remains in use today, appearing in formal documentation and genealogical records. Its continuity from medieval times to the present day demonstrates the endurance of occupational surnames within the English onomastic tradition.
Typical given names associated with the Woodward surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Stephen
Female
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Joan
- Joanne
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- 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 Woodward in...
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There are approximately 29,704 people named Woodward in the UK. That makes it the 272nd most common surname in Britain. Around 456 in a million people in Britain are named Woodward.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Woodward
- Sir Thomas John Woodward - Welsh singer
- Keren Woodward - Singer and songwriter
- Edward Woodward - Actor (1930 to 2009)
- Shaun Woodward - Politician
- Joanne Woodward - American actress and producer
- Ed Woodward - CEO of Manchester United
- The Louise Woodward case concerned Louise Woodward - Criminal
- Peter Woodward - Actor, stuntman and screenwriter
- Clive Woodward - Rugby union football player and coach
- Tim Woodward - Actor
- Vivian Woodward - Football player (1879 to 1954)
- Sandy Woodward - Admiral (1932 to 2013)
- Pollyanna Woodward - Television presenter
- Andy Woodward - Football player
- Sarah Woodward - Actress
- Barbara Woodward - Diplomat
- Arthur Smith Woodward - Paleontologist (1864 to 1944)
- George Ratcliffe Woodward - Composer (1848 to 1934)
- John Woodward - Naturalist, antiquarian and geologist (1665 to 1728)
- David Woodward - American geographer (1942 to 2004)
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.