Surname Westwood - Meaning and Origin
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Discovering Deep-Rooted Westwood Ancestry: My Genetic Odyssey with iGENEA DNA Testing
Using iGENEA's genetic testing, I traced the roots of my surname, Westwood, to its Anglo-Saxon origins. The fascinating DNA analysis instilled a greater sense of connection to my ancient ancestors, as I found out they were possibly foresters or woodsmen living near a western forest, forming our family name.
C. Westwood
read moreWestwood: What does the surname Westwood mean?
The last name Westwood is of English origin, hailing from the old English words "west" and "wudu," meaning "west wood." This is a common name, used to refer to those who lived near a dry wooded area in the west. It could also have derived from a place name, specifically a wood or clearing in the west.
The Westwood surname may have multiple variants, such as Whestwood, Westwold, Westwude, and Wwestwode. Some people with the last name may also be of German origin, as the spelling of the surname was anglicized from the original German version, Wesenvald.
In the modern day, people with the last name Westwood have diverse ethnic backgrounds. It could refer to those of Norman ancestry, from the Old French word "west," meaning "west." Likewise, the surname may refer to those of English, Scottish, or Irish roots.
People with the Westwood name may call different parts of the world their home. The surname is especially popular in Northern England and Ireland, and is present in other locations such as the United States, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia.
No matter its beginning, today the Westwood surname is a reminder of the past and the many people who have embraced it as their own.
Order DNA origin analysisWestwood: Where does the name Westwood come from?
The Westwood surname is a quite common English surname, although its geographical distribution varies. In England, it is most prominent in the West Midlands, where it ranks within the top 400 surnames. This is primarily due to the strong legacy of the Anglo-Saxon settlers of eastern England. As the name implies, these settlers originated in what is now the West Midlands region.
The Westwood surname appears near or at the top of the surname list in the counties of Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire. As time has progressed, the Westwood surname has become spread across England, as well as abroad. In the United States, the Westwood surname is also quite common, mainly along the Eastern Seaboard. It appears in the top 1000 surnames in many states, including Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
The Westwood name can also be found in other parts of the world, mainly in countries such as Australia and Canada. In all, it appears the Westwood surname is ubiquitous, and has made its mark on both sides of the Atlantic.
Variations of the surname Westwood
The surname Westwood is derived from multiple origins and has a variety of different spellings and variants depending on the country or region. Commonly, this name originates from the Old English words wester, meaning "west," and wude meaning "wood." Looking at other regions and origins, the surname Westwood is also derived from Anglo-Saxon roots, French spelling variants, Scandinavian spellings, German variants and Dutch, which all describe a person or family from the western woodlands or nearby regions.
In England, the most common spelling of Westwood is Wstwode, but other variations can appear such as Westwod, Westuud, Westweud, Westwold, or Westwoode.
In France the spellings of Westwood become more varied, such as Ouestbois, Westboiss, Westboes, Vestenbos and Westembois.
In Germany, the name Westwood is seen as Westwalt, Westwolt, Westwoldt, Westwaldt, Westwaltz, and Westhalt.
In Scandinavia, common spellings for Westwood are Westvold, Vestvoll and Vestvold.
In Holland, Westwood is commonly spelled as Westwoude and Westhoudt.
Other related spellings and surnames that are not specifically related to the words ‘west’ and ‘wood’ but have similar origins are Westerford, Westerfurd, Westford and Westforde.
Whilst the spelling of Westwood can differ from country to country, one main feature remains: that the name is related to the Old English words wester, meaning ‘west’ and wude meaning ‘wood.’
Famous people with the name Westwood
- Vivienne Westwood: English fashion designer
- Dame Stephanie Shirley: English philanthropist and technology entrepreneur, former name Stephanie Westwood
- Seth Westwood: American actor
- Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars): fictional character from the Star Wars universe, also known as Darth Sidious and Sheev Palpatine
- Clive Westwood: English military and political leader
- Andy Westwood: English actor and game show presenter
- Stanley Westwood: English cricketer
- George Westwood: English footballer
- Fred Westwood: English cricketer
- Leslie Westwood: English cricketer
- Jimmy Westwood: English cricketer
- Ian Westwood: English musician
- Lawrence Westwood: English cricketer
- Kevin Westwood: English footballer
- Ray Westwood: English footballer
- Louisa Westwood: English philanthropist and art collector
- Richard Westwood: English cricketer
- Harvey Westwood: English cricketer
- Todd Westwood: American mixed martial artist
- Thomas Westwood: English cricketer