The Elwood surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,000 people carried this name — #6,744 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 58,800 people counted. That is up 2% from 4,881 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Elwood surname

A surname transferred from the given name.

From the Middle English personal name Elwald, Elwold, Alwold, which is composed of the Old English elements ælf (“elf”) and weald (“rule”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Elwood» (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

An early record he cites: Robert Elward, Suffolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Ellwood and Elwood.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 271 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 11 births for the Elwood name in 1890.

Most were registered in Connacht. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 500 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. One of them was indexed under another spelling of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Mayo.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Connacht 6
Ulster 4
Munster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

17 families named Elwood, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 112 people lived in those households, 6.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. 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

Connecticut 8
New York 4
Pennsylvania 3
Rhode Island 1
Maryland 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. 239 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Elwood in American newspapers,
1894–1929.

Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Elwood
Daily Kennebec Journal 1916-03-14
Newspaper page from The New North-west carrying the name Elwood
The New North-west 1894-01-27
Newspaper page from The Harlem News carrying the name Elwood
The Harlem News 1929-07-26

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Elwood in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

16,437 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Elwood. The most, 8,543, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 10,307
New South Wales 2,851
South Australia 1,190
Queensland 1,104
Tasmania 486
Western Australia 442
ACT (Canberra) 30
Northern Territory 9

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

Who carried it

People named Elwood,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Anne Elwood
    Anne Elwood 1796–1873 · writer
  • Philip John Elwood d. 1979
  • William Elwood d. 1718
  • Sarah Elwood d. 1741
  • Edward Lloyd Elwood d. 1860
  • Thomas Elwood 1501–1612 · politician

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 Elwood,
in the records of 5 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 States737 records

737 records of the Elwood name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 174
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 157
  • Other U.S. records 406
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record David M. Elwood

    Born 1904 in California. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Macarthur San Pedro; typesetter. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1967, buried at Los Angeles 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 Mary Elwood

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Helvetia from Liverpool, aged 18; servant. From Cork, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Darryl J. Elwood

    U.S. Marine Corps veteran. Born 1939, died 1978; buried at Lake View Cemetery, Chetek, Wisconsin.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 737 records for Elwood in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · 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, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). 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); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia128 records

128 records of the Elwood name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 73
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 30
  • Other Australian records 25
  1. 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 Thomas Elwood

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Earl St Vincent, arriving 1823; ticket of leave 1832. Native of Roscommon.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1860 aboard the Champion of the Seas, aged 35; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Olive May Elwood

    Telephonist of Clifton Springs, Victoria; died 1999.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 128 records for Elwood in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

New Zealand18 records

18 records of the Elwood name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 17
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edward Walter Elwood

    Died 1918, aged 53; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record E. Elwood

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edward Henry Elwood

    Died 1964, aged 67; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 18 records for Elwood in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Canada16 records

16 records of the Elwood name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 7
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 5
  • Other Canadian records 4
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robt Elwood

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Scan, landing at Quebec, bound for Kleinburg, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Norah Jean Elwood

    Buried in 1994 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 80.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John Henry Elwood

    Died 1961 in Oak Hill, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 16 records for Elwood in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom10 records

10 records of the Elwood name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 7
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 3
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Walter Allen Elwood

    Born 1881 at Grimsby. Served in the First World War. Named in the University of Aberdeen roll of service in the Great War, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Elwood

    East Surrey Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record William Elwood

    Born 1877 at Grimsby. Served in the First World War. Named in the University of Aberdeen roll of service in the Great War, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Elwood in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Elwood.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Elwood 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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