Delwood
From English, meaning "delightful" and "wood".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Delwood. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Delwood today is around 78 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Delwood births was 1919 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Delwood. 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 Delwood is about 78 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Delwoods were born before 1958.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Delwood. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1919
5 babies that year
Average age
78
years old
1951 SSA rank
#3,835
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Delwood: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Delwood from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1930s peak, Delwood remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Delwood 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 Delwood 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 Delwood
The name Delwood is thought to have originated in the Anglo-Saxon period, deriving from a combination of the Old English words "dell" meaning a small valley or hollow, and "wudu" meaning a wood or forest. It is believed to have been initially used as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a wooded dell or valley.
In the early medieval period, Delwood appeared as a given name in various forms such as Delwode, Dellewod, and Dellwode, primarily in regions of England where Anglo-Saxon influence was strong. The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Delwode is mentioned.
While the name Delwood does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is possible that its roots in Old English words related to natural features may have held some significance in pagan or early Christian traditions.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Delwood was Delwood of Shrewsbury, a English monk and chronicler who lived in the 12th century. He is known for his detailed accounts of the Norman conquest of England and the subsequent conflicts between the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Delwood the Falconer served as a falconer to King Henry III of England. His skills in training and handling falcons were highly regarded, and he is mentioned in several historical records from the period.
During the 14th century, Delwood de Walsingham was a prominent English historian and monk who wrote extensively about the reign of King Edward III and the Hundred Years' War against France. His chronicles are considered valuable primary sources for understanding the events of that era.
In the 16th century, Delwood Cartwright was an English poet and playwright who gained recognition for his works celebrating the Tudor monarchy and exploring themes of love and nature. Some of his most famous works include "The Passionate Pilgrim" and "The Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt."
Another notable bearer of the name was Delwood Pemberton, a British explorer and naturalist who lived in the 18th century. He is known for his expeditions to the Americas, where he documented various plant and animal species, contributing significantly to the field of natural history.
People
Delwood + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Delwood as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Delwood: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Delwood?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Delwood 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Delwood a common name?
We classify Delwood as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 25 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Delwood most popular?
The single biggest year for Delwood was 1919, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Delwood is about 78 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Delwood a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Delwood 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.
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.