Edword
A masculine name of Anglo-Saxon origin potentially meaning "prosperous guard".
Name Census estimates that about 24 living Americans carry the first name Edword. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Edword today is around 72 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Edword births was 1924 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Edword. 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 Edword is about 72 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Edwords were born before 1964.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Edword. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
24
~ 1 in 14,281,431 Americans
Peak year
1924
7 babies that year
Average age
72
years old
1966 SSA rank
#4,111
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Edword: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Edword from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 38 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Edword 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 Edword 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 Edword
The name Edword has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the combination of the elements "ead," meaning prosperity or fortune, and "weard," meaning guard or protector. This name was popular during the Anglo-Saxon period, primarily in England, and was commonly used among the nobility and ruling classes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Edword can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as Eadweard and Edwerd, reflecting the linguistic evolution of the time.
Historically, the name Edword has been associated with several notable figures. One of the most renowned was King Edward the Confessor (c. 1003-1066), the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, who was renowned for his piety and devotion to the Church. His reign was marked by relative peace and stability, and he was canonized as a saint in 1161.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Edword was Edward I (1239-1307), also known as Edward Longshanks or the Hammer of the Scots. He was one of the most influential and powerful monarchs of medieval England, known for his military campaigns against Wales and Scotland, as well as his efforts to consolidate royal power and establish a system of common law.
In the literary realm, Edward Fitzgerald (1809-1883) was an English writer and poet best known for his translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, which popularized the Persian poet's work in the West.
The name Edword also had its place in the world of science and exploration. Edward Jenner (1749-1823) was an English physician who pioneered the concept of vaccination and developed the smallpox vaccine, making a significant contribution to public health and saving countless lives.
Finally, Edward Whymper (1840-1911) was a renowned English mountaineer and explorer who made the first successful ascent of the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps in 1865, a feat that solidified his place in the annals of mountaineering history.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the name Edword throughout history, illustrating its enduring presence and significance across various fields and eras.
People
Edword + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Edword as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Edword: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Edword?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 24 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Edword 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 14,281,431 US residents.
Is Edword a common name?
We classify Edword as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 82 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Edword most popular?
The single biggest year for Edword was 1924, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Edword is about 72 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 Edword in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Edword a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Edword 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 Edword still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Edword 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 Edword 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 are called Edword?
You can see how many people have the name Edword on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.