NameCensus.

UK surname

Erwood

From an wood or forest dwelling, with the element "er" denoting a location.

In the 1881 census there were 147 people recorded with the Erwood surname, ranking it #15,674 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 111, ranked #29,049, down from #15,674 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sutton, Stroud and Bromley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Erwood is 202 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 24.5%.

1881 census count

147

Ranked #15,674

Modern count

111

2016, ranked #29,049

Peak year

1901

202 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Erwood had 147 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,674 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 111 in 2016, ranked #29,049.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 202 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Erwood surname distribution map

The map shows where the Erwood surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Erwood surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Erwood over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 61 #22,412
1861 historical 116 #18,751
1881 historical 147 #15,674
1891 historical 167 #17,006
1901 historical 202 #15,010
1911 historical 188 #15,550
1997 modern 137 #22,301
1998 modern 130 #23,603
1999 modern 138 #22,983
2000 modern 135 #23,250
2001 modern 133 #23,132
2002 modern 148 #22,087
2003 modern 139 #22,734
2004 modern 129 #24,019
2005 modern 129 #23,963
2006 modern 124 #24,750
2007 modern 117 #26,066
2008 modern 117 #26,351
2009 modern 115 #27,207
2010 modern 120 #27,124
2011 modern 119 #27,063
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 118 #27,686
2014 modern 117 #28,109
2015 modern 114 #28,478
2016 modern 111 #29,049

Geography

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Where Erwoods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Lambeth, Hound and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sutton, Stroud, Bromley and Bath and North East Somerset. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Hound Hampshire
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sutton 010 Sutton
2 Stroud 011 Stroud
3 Stroud 012 Stroud
4 Bromley 037 Bromley
5 Bath and North East Somerset 002 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Erwood

These lists show first names that appear often with the Erwood surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Erwood

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Erwood, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Erwood surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Erwood household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Erwood is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Erwood is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Erwood falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Erwood is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Erwood, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Erwood

The surname ERWOOD is of English origin, first recorded in the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "erle" meaning "earl" and "wudu" meaning "wood" or "forest." This suggests the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in or near a wooded area owned or governed by an earl.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1230, where a Roger de Erlewood is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time. Similar early spellings include Erlewode, Erlwode, and Erlwude, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations common in medieval records.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a William de Erlewood from Buckinghamshire, indicating the name's presence in multiple counties during this period. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also list a John Erlwode, further demonstrating the name's geographic spread.

Notable individuals with the surname ERWOOD throughout history include Robert Erwood, a 14th-century landowner in Shropshire, whose will is preserved in the National Archives. In the 16th century, there was a Thomas Erwood, a merchant and Alderman of the City of London, who is mentioned in various guild records from the 1560s.

Jumping ahead to the 18th century, Rev. John Erwood (1718-1793) was a respected Anglican clergyman who served as the Rector of Radcliffe-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire for over four decades. His son, William Erwood (1756-1829), followed in his footsteps and became a clergyman as well, holding the position of Vicar of Brixworth in Northamptonshire.

Another notable figure was Sir Archibald Erwood (1825-1899), a British military officer who served in the Crimean War and later became a Member of Parliament for North Warwickshire. He was knighted in 1887 for his services to the Crown.

While the surname ERWOOD is not among the most common in England today, its rich history spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in the country's medieval past, reflecting the influence of early landowners, clergymen, merchants, and military figures who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Erwood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Erwood surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 59 Erwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.14x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 59 4.14x
Surrey 45 6.48x
Hampshire 12 4.11x
Somerset 8 3.49x
Wiltshire 5 3.97x
Buckinghamshire 4 4.65x
Essex 4 1.42x
Kent 4 0.82x
Gloucestershire 2 0.72x
Berkshire 1 0.94x
Devon 1 0.34x
Royal Navy 1 5.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 22 Erwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.72x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 22 17.72x
Islington London 18 13.04x
Camberwell 15 16.49x
Hound 8 404.04x
St Paul Covent Garden 8 563.38x
Bathwick 7 275.59x
Mile End Old Town London 7 23.09x
Hackney London 6 7.51x
St George In East London 6 44.78x
St Luke London 6 26.27x
Potterne 4 714.29x
Wandsworth 4 29.18x
West Ham 4 6.44x
Wooburn 4 336.13x
Holdenhurst 3 39.16x
St Marylebone London 3 3.95x
Bitton 2 82.30x
Clerkenwell London 2 5.95x
Clapham 1 5.62x
Crayford 1 47.17x
Croydon 1 2.60x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 21.28x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 16.67x
Margate St John Baptist 1 11.24x
Portsea 1 1.75x
Royal Navy 1 6.89x
St Anne Soho London 1 12.30x
St Pancras London 1 0.87x
Streatham 1 9.46x
Sunninghill 1 67.57x
Tormoham 1 7.97x
Tottenham 1 4.41x
Trowbridge 1 17.95x
Walton On Thames 1 31.35x
Woolwich 1 5.57x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Erwood surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 7
Eliza 6
Alice 4
Emma 4
Florence 4
Mary 4
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Emily 3
Louisa 3
Ada 2
Fanny 2
Jane 2
Lydia 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Belinda 1
Blanche 1
Clair 1
Ellen 1
Florince 1
Frances 1
Girtrude 1
Grace 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Hobatio 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Margaret 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Nellie 1
Rosina 1
S. 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Erwood surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 8
Arthur 5
Charles 5
Edward 4
Henry 4
Alfred 3
Frederick 3
George 3
John 3
Joseph 3
Walter 3
Ernest 2
Fredk. 2
Harry 2
James 2
Albert 1
Claude 1
Cornelius 1
Edmund 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
H.W. 1
J. 1
Percy 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Erwood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Erwood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 147 people were recorded with the Erwood surname. That placed it at #15,674 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Erwood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 111 in 2016. That gives Erwood a modern rank of #29,049.

What does the Erwood surname mean?

From an wood or forest dwelling, with the element "er" denoting a location.

What does the Erwood map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Erwood bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.