WORDSWORTH
Wordsworth
Wordsworth is an English surname of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English words "word", meaning "word" or "speech", and "wīse", meaning "way". The surname is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone who was eloquent or well-spoken.
History:
The Wordsworth surname has ancient roots in England, particularly in the county of Yorkshire. The name is famously associated with the poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850), one of the key figures in the Romantic literary movement.
Notable Individuals:
William Wordsworth (1770-1850) - An eminent English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication "Lyrical Ballads" in 1798. Wordsworth's poetry often focused on themes of nature, beauty, and the simplicity of rural life.
Variants:
Variants of the Wordsworth surname include Wordsworthy and Wardsworth. Over time, spellings of the surname may have evolved due to dialectical differences or clerical errors in record-keeping.
References:
- Hanks, Patrick, et al. The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland. Oxford University Press, 2016.
- Hartley, Janet. William Wordsworth: A Biography. Bloomsbury USA, 2005.
There are approximately 1,568 people named Wordsworth in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,171st most common surname in Britain. Around 24 in a million people in Britain are named Wordsworth.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Typical given names associated with the surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Mark
- Matthew
- Niall
- Paul
- Richard
Female
- Alison
- Ann
- Dorothy
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jane
- Joanne
- Judith
- Julie
- Kathryn
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.