The Atwood surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 17,112 people carried this name — #2,114 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 17,200 people counted. That is up 2% from 16,754 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Atwood surname

A surname; an English topographic surname for someone who lived near a wood.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Atwood» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the wood’.

An early record he cites: John Attewode, Norfolk, 1391 — History of Norfolk (Blomefield and Parkin).

His entry covers Attwood and Atwood.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 67 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

201 families named Atwood, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 1,078 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 94
New Hampshire 27
Connecticut 26
Vermont 12
Rhode Island 11
Virginia 11
New York 9
Maine 5
Maryland 3
North Carolina 2
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 228 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Atwood in American newspapers,
1913–1921.

Newspaper page from The Citizen=times carrying the name Atwood
The Citizen=times 1921-08-04
Newspaper page from The Mobridge News carrying the name Atwood
The Mobridge News 1913-12-05
Newspaper page from The Punta Gorda Herald carrying the name Atwood
The Punta Gorda Herald 1913-11-13

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 241,160 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Atwood in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

2,562 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Atwood. The most, 644, date from the 1850s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 1,453
New South Wales 502
Queensland 253
Western Australia 128
South Australia 117
Tasmania 87
ACT (Canberra) 20

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Atwood.

Who carried it

People named Atwood,
with a public archive behind them.

  • David Atwood
    David Atwood 1815–1889 · politician
  • Helen Amy Laverton d. 1960
  • Mary Atwood 1643–1675
  • William Atwood 1650–1712 · writer
  • George Atwood 1745–1807 · astronomer
  • Henry Adams Sergison Atwood 1800–1877 · cleric

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Atwood,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,420 records

1,420 records of the Atwood name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 592
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 277
  • Other U.S. records 551
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Loren E. Atwood

    Born 1910 in California. Enlisted 1941 at San Francisco; salesperson from Eldorado County. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II; died 1965, buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Eliza Atwood

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Aurania from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 50; helper. From Storvan Wold, England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Douglas Edward Atwood

    Born 1946; from Murray, Utah. U.S. Army, pioneer; died in an accident 1967 in Binh Long, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,420 records for Atwood in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Canada552 records

552 records of the Atwood name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 529
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 10
  • Other Canadian records 13
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henry Atwood

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Prussian, landing at Quebec, bound for Stratford, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Wilfred Atwood

    Killed in 1969 at the Devco No. 12 mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Grace Atwood

    Died 1973, aged 67; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 3 of 552 records for Atwood in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Australia127 records

127 records of the Atwood name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 100
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 14
  • Other Australian records 13
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Frances Atwood

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1853. Married 1853 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 27.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Stephen Atwood

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Theresa, arriving 1839; ticket of leave 1845.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane Atwood

    Arrived in Victoria in 1876 aboard the N M Slade, aged 45; American.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 127 records for Atwood in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

New Zealand15 records

15 records of the Atwood name in New Zealand Marlborough District cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Atwood

    Died 1867, aged 50; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Henry Atwood

    Died 1993, aged 70; buried at Seddon Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Atwood

    Died 1886, aged 81; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 15 records for Atwood in New Zealand.

Counts: Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France2 records

2 records of the Atwood name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Richard Walter Atwood

    Born 1918 in Fauverney; died 2000 in Quetigny (Côte-d'Or).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Eveline Germaine Atwood

    Born 1895 in Sainte-Colombe (Rhône); died 1978 in Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

United Kingdom1 record

1 record of the Atwood name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Atwood

    Lance Corporal, Royal West Kent Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Atwood name in the Netherlands Dutch church registers before 1811
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record George Atwood

    Baptised in 1766 in Willemstad.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Atwood.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Atwood is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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