YARWOOD
Yarwood is a surname of English origin, derived from the Old English personal name Eoforweard, which translates to “boar guardian” or “boar keeper.” The surname is patronymic, indicating that it originally served to identify the descendants of a person known by that personal name. Over time the form of the name changed, and the modern spelling Yarwood emerged. Its rarity is reflected in the fact that it is chiefly located within the county of Cheshire, in England.
The name is also thought to be of locational origin, associated in particular with a habitation site in Cheshire. Scholarship suggests a potential link between the elements earn (meaning “eagle”) and wudu (meaning “wood”), producing a compound that could denote “eagle wood” or “wood of the eagles.” Such etymological interpretations are supported by the existence of variants such as Yerwood and Yearwood, which appear in contemporary records.
In spite of its strong attachment to Cheshire, the surname Yarwood is today most frequently found in Lancashire. The earliest surviving reference to the name occurs in London church registers during the early 17th century. A notable example is the christening of Marcus Yearwood (son of William Yearwood) on 15 March 1611 at St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, taken during the reign of King James I of England and VII of Scotland (1603‑1625).
Subsequent documentary evidence spreads the name across a wider area. On 22 April 1649, a christening record for Anne, daughter of William Yerwood, is preserved at St. Peter's, Bolton. In 1679 a Ticket of Emigration was issued to Thomas Yarwood, who was to board the vessel Endeavour bound from Barbados to Carolina. Later, on 2 January 1695, John Yarwood married Sarah Goddin at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London.
Throughout its history the surname has remained firmly rooted within England, reflecting the Christian religious context of its bearers and the linguistic heritage of the British Isles. The continuity of its spelling, its links to specific localities, and its documented appearances in parish registers underscore the enduring nature of Yarwood as an English family name.
Typical given names associated with the Yarwood surname
Male
- Alan
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
Female
- Carol
- Christine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Jane
- Julie
- Kathleen
- Lynne
- Michelle
- 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.
How to communicate the surname Yarwood in...
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There are approximately 2,666 people named Yarwood in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,342nd most common surname in Britain. Around 41 in a million people in Britain are named Yarwood.
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 Yarwood
- Mike Yarwood - Comedian
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.