Wood (surname)

Wood, also spelled Wode, Woode, Woodde, or Wad is a surname that is common throughout the anglophone world.

In England, Wales and the Isle of Man it is the 26^th most-common surname [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Most Common Surnames in England, Wales and the Isle of Man
work =Behind the Name: The Etymology and History of Surnames
publisher =Mike Campbell
date =2007
url =http://surnames.behindthename.com/top/lists/500ens1991.php/
format =HTML
doi =
accessdate =2007-03-31 (cites its source as the 'National Health Service Central Register, using birth and death registers from 1999-2001'] , in Scotland it is the 53^rd most-common surname [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =100 Most Common Surnames
work =
publisher =General Register Office for Scotland
date =2004-11-04
url =http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/popular-names/surnames.html
format =HTML
doi =
accessdate =2007-03-31] and in the United States the 78^th [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Most Common Surnames in the U.S.
work =
publisher =Rhett A. Butler
date =2006
url =http://names.mongabay.com/most_common_surnames.htm
format =HTML
doi =
accessdate =2007-03-31 (cites its source as the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Population Analysis & Evaluation Staff)] .

History

The most common explanation of the origin of the surname Wood is that it was used to describe a person who lived in or worked in a wood or forest. This name derived from Middle English "wode" from the Old English "wudu", both of which mean "wood."

Another possibility is that the name derived from the Old English "wod" or "wad", meaning "crazed" or "crazy," and was used to describe someone considered mad or violent, or a warrior or savage in battle. An example of the use of this term is in the pun in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "And heere am I, and wod within this wood."

It is also thought that it may be an ancient Scottish surname, originally known as 'de Bosco', because the family bore trees in their coat of arms. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =WOOD - Name Meaning & Origin
work =
publisher =About, Inc.
date =2007
url =http://genealogy.about.com/library/surnames/w/bl_name-WOOD.htm/
format =HTML
doi =
accessdate =2007-03-31] The ancient motto of this family is "Defend."

Wood can be traced as far back as the 11th century. Walter de la Wode is recorded in Hertfordshire in 1242. John Atewode is in the Rotuli Hundredorum in Essex in 1274, and William Bythewode is listed in the Subsidy Rolls in Sussex in 1296.

Some bearers of the surname Wood may descend from Irish immigrants who moved to England and Wales. Settlers with the surnames Coll, Coill or O'Coill (Ó Coill) or the anglicised form Quill were known to have changed their surnames to the English translation - Wood.

Notable people with the surname Wood

Notable people with the surname Wood include:

A

* Alexander Wood, physician and inventor of the hypodermic needle
* Alexander Wood, city magistrate in York, Upper Canada
* Admiral Sir Andrew Wood, admiral and laird of Clan MacDonald
* Andrew Wood, musician
* Albert Beaumont Wood, physicist
* Alan Woods, Marxist theoretician
* Abram Wood, General in the British Virginia Colony in nowadays U.S., sent probably the first exploration party of Europeans into the West Virginia area in 1671 (see History of West Virginia).

B

* Benjamin Wood, American politician
* Brooks Wood, musician, singer/songwriter

C

*Carl Wood, pioneer of the "in vitro" fertilization technique, worked at the Monash University in Victoria, Australia
*Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax
*Charles Wood, 2nd Viscount Halifax
*Charles Wood, Irish composer
*Charles Wood, British scientist
*Charles Erskine Scott Wood, American author, activist, and attorney
*Chris Wood, a jazz musician with the trio Medeski Martin & Wood
*Chris Wood, woodwind player with the rock band Traffic
*Chris Wood, a folk musician
*Christopher Wood, an English painter
*Christopher Wood, a Scottish painter
*Christopher Wood, a screenwriter
*Corinne Wood, former Lieutenant Governor of Illinois and first female Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
*Cynthia Wood, (b. 1950) American model and actress, "Playboy" Playmate of the Year 1974

D

* Darren Wood, English footballer
* David Wood, Photographic Chemist, Inventor
* Denis Wood, author and a professor of Design at North Carolina State University
* Donald Peter John Wood (1923–2002), British historian
* Doug Wood, Canadian pole vaulte

E

* Easton Wood (b. 1989), Australian footballer
* Edmund Burke Wood, Canadian politician and judge
* Edward D. Wood, Jr. (1924–1978), American film director
* Elijah Wood, (b. 1981), American actor
* Eric Wood, (b. 1991), English journalist, Bury F.C. match reporter
* Evan Rachel Wood, American actress

F

* Fernando Wood, mayor of New York City
* Frank Porter Wood, Canadian Art Collector of Toronto
* Frank Wood, Iowa politician
* Frank Wood (actor), American actor

G

* Garfield Wood, (1880–1971) American inventor, entrepreneur, motorboat builder and racer
* Gemma Wood, British diver
* Gordon Wood, American university professor
* Grant Wood, American painter, best known for his painting depicting the rural American Midwest

H

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Sir Henry Wood
* Harry Blanshard Wood, (1882-1924) British soldier and Victoria Cross recipient
* Sir Henry Wood, orchestral conductor
* Mrs Henry Wood, British novelist (wrote under her married name)
* Sir Henry Evelyn Wood, (1838–1919) British Field Marshal and Victoria Cross recipient

J

* Jason Wood, Australian politician
* Smoky Joe Wood (1889–1985), baseball pitcher for Boston Red Sox and outfielder for Cleveland Indians, 1908–1922; see Ritter & Honig: The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time.
* Joe Wood (1919–1985), baseball infielder, 1943 season
* Joe Wood (1916-2002), baseball pitcher for Boston Red Sox, 1944 season
* John William Wood Sr., (1855-1928) former North Carolina State Representative, founder of Benson, North Carolina.
* John Wood, (b. 1946) an Australian actor, star of the long-running police drama Blue Heelers
* John Wood, (b. 1930) an English actor, known for Shakespearean roles and his association with Tom Stoppard
* John Wood, (1798-1880) governor of Illinois (1860-1861)
* John Wood, (d. 1979) an American federal judge, whose assassination was the first murder of a sitting federal judge in the 20th century
* John Wood, the Elder, (1704-1754) an English architect, best known for Queen Square and The Circus in Bath
* John Wood, the Younger, (1728-1782) an English architect (son of John Wood), best known for the Royal Crescent in Bath
* John Augustus Wood, (1818-1878) British soldier and Victoria Cross recipient
* John G. Wood, a veteran of the British far right and member of the British Peoples Party
* John Stephens Wood, (1885-1968) a chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee
* John Taylor Wood, (1830-1904) an officer in the U.S. Navy who became a captain in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War
* John Travers Wood, an American Representative from Idaho during the mid-20th century

K

* Keith Wood, (b. 1972) former international rugby union star who played hooker for, and captained Ireland, the British and Irish Lions, Harlequins and Munster
* Kerry Wood, American baseball player
* Kevin Wood, musician (brother of Andrew Wood)
* Kurtis L. Wood, comic book artist "Brandon's Little Problem" (Imaginary Tales Comics)

L

* Leonard Wood, U.S. Army Chief of Staff and Governor General of the Philippines
* Lachlan Wood, basketball player
* Leon Wood, American basketball player
* Leon J. Wood, American theologian

M

* Marla Wood, millionaire
* Matthew Wood, member of Lucasfilm Sound Droid development team
* Matthew Wood, drummer from the band British Sea Power

N

* Natalie Wood, (1938-1981) American actress
* N. Lee Wood, (b. 1955) American Novelist
* Norman Bentley Wood, Sr., (1889-1950) U.S. General

O

* Oliver Wood, fictional character from "Harry Potter" books

P

* Paul Wood, (d. 1990) British computer technician
* Paul Wood, British rugby player
* Peggy Wood, (1892-1978) American actress
* Peter Wood, (d. 1993) British musician

R

* Robert Wood, (1792-1847) Canadian timber merchant who claimed to be the son of Prince Edward Augustus
* Robert Coldwell Wood, American administrator
* Robert L Wood, American-settled British Physicist
* Robert Williams Wood, (1868-1955) American physicist
* Ronnie Wood, (b. 1947) musician
* Roy Wood, (b. 1946) musician

S

* Samuel Wood
* Sandra Wood Scarr, American psychologist
* Smoky Joe Wood, (1889-1985) American baseball player
* Stephen Wood, American politician
* Stephen P. Wood, American inventor, author, paramedic,nurse practitioner
* Steve Wood, entrepreneur

T

* Thomas Wood, (1889–1965) Canadian Senator

V

* Victoria Wood, British comedienne

W

* Wallace Wood, (1927–1981) American writer-illustrator
* Wilfred Wood, (1897-1982) British soldier and Victoria Cross recipient
* William Wood, (c. 1809–1880) officer and surgeon in the United States Navy
* Willie Wood, (b. 1938) Scottish professional bowls player

See also

* Clan Wood
* Quill (surname)
* Woods (surname)

References

External links

* [http://loneagle2002.tripod.com/ The Samuel Wood Lineage of Sussex, England]