Arwood
Of uncertain origin and meaning, potentially from Celtic roots relating to oak trees.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Arwood. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arwood today is around 120 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arwood births was 1920 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arwood. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Arwood is about 120 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Arwoods were born before 1916.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arwood. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1920
5 babies that year
Average age
120
years old
1935 SSA rank
#3,673
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Arwood: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arwood from the 1920s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Arwood remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arwood by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Arwood during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Arwood
The name Arwood is a unique and intriguing moniker with roots that can be traced back to Old English and Germanic origins. It is believed to have originated as a combination of the Old English words "ar," meaning "honor" or "reverence," and "wudu," which translates to "wood" or "forest." This interpretation suggests that the name Arwood may have originally been bestowed upon individuals who lived in or near forested areas and were held in high regard within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arwood can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This historical document lists an individual named "Arwudu" as a landholder in the county of Gloucestershire, England. This entry provides valuable insight into the antiquity and prevalence of the name during the Norman period.
Throughout the centuries, the name Arwood has been borne by several notable figures. One such individual was Arwood Whitley, a renowned English philosopher and theologian who lived from 1628 to 1695. His scholarly works, which explored the intersection of religion and reason, were highly influential during the Age of Enlightenment. Another historical figure was Arwood Macleod, a Scottish explorer and author who undertook numerous expeditions to the Arctic regions in the late 18th century. His vivid accounts of these voyages were widely read and contributed to the understanding of the Arctic landscape and its indigenous peoples.
In the world of literature, Arwood Fairchild was a prominent American novelist and poet of the early 20th century. Born in 1892, Fairchild's works were celebrated for their poetic language and insightful commentary on the human condition. His novel, "The Willow Tree," published in 1925, remains a cherished classic to this day.
Moving into the realm of art, Arwood Bellamy was a talented British painter and sculptor whose works graced numerous prestigious galleries and museums throughout the 19th century. Born in 1815, Bellamy's masterful depictions of landscapes and portraits earned him widespread acclaim and established his reputation as one of the preeminent artists of his time.
Finally, it would be remiss not to mention Arwood Delancey, a pioneering American physicist and inventor who lived from 1903 to 1987. Delancey's groundbreaking research into quantum mechanics and his innovative contributions to the field of optics garnered him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965.
People
Arwood + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arwood as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Arwood: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arwood?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arwood going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Arwood a common name?
We classify Arwood as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arwood most popular?
The single biggest year for Arwood was 1920, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arwood is about 120 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Arwood in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arwood a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arwood in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Arwood still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arwood in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Arwood can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Arwood as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.