Find out how popular the last name Atwood is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Atwood.

Atwood, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Atwood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Atwood in America

Atwood is the 2114th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Atwood surname appeared 17,112 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Atwood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Atwood to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Atwood

The surname Atwood originates from England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "aet" meaning "at" and "wudu" meaning "wood," suggesting that the name referred to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area.

The earliest recorded examples of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where it appears as "Atte Wode." Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form, Atwood. This name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire in southwestern England.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the surname Atwood. However, the book does mention several place names with the word "wood" in them, indicating the presence of wooded areas that may have influenced the development of this surname.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Atwood throughout history include Thomas Atwood (1545-1609), an English clergyman and mathematician who authored several works on arithmetic and surveying. Another prominent figure was Sir Jonathan Atwood (1638-1701), a British politician and Lord Mayor of London in 1692.

In the literary world, George Atwood (1746-1807) was an English mathematician and author known for his work on mechanics and the invention of the Atwood machine, a device used to demonstrate the laws of motion.

Moving into the 19th century, John Atwood (1810-1887) was an English architect responsible for designing several buildings in London, including the Church of St. Bartholomew in Bethnal Green.

Lastly, Margaret Atwood (born 1939) is a renowned Canadian poet, novelist, and literary critic, best known for works such as "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Alias Grace." She is a highly influential figure in contemporary literature and a recipient of numerous awards and honors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Atwood

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Atwood.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Atwood was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Atwood has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Atwood was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Atwood, please contact us.

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