Woodward Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Woodward last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Woodward last name
Meaning of the Woodward last name: forest keeper. Woodward is an English surname for a forester, from Old English words for "wood" and "guardian". A woodward watched over the timber and the game of a lord's woodland and kept poachers out. The last name is common across England, above all in the Midlands. A curious detail of this surname origin: the woodward was a real medieval office, and some forests kept the title for centuries.
Arms associated with the Woodward name
English heraldry loves puns, choosing figures that echo the sound of a name, and that playful custom runs through many coats of arms linked with the Woodward name.
Get your full Woodward family history
This is only a glimpse of the Woodward story. The full Woodward history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Woodward coat of arms. Get the full Woodward report.
Woodward name FAQ
What does the Woodward name mean?
Forest keeper. Common variants include Woodard, Woodwarde, Wodeward.
Where does the Woodward surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Woodward coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Woodward coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).