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

Norwood, 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 Norwood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Norwood in America

Norwood is the 1596th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Norwood surname appeared 22,461 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Norwood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Norwood 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 Norwood

The surname Norwood originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 11th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "norð" (meaning north) and "wudu" (meaning wood), referring to a northern wood or forest. The name likely originated from various places in England, including Norwood in Yorkshire and Norwood in Surrey.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Norwood appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Norewode" in Hampshire. This suggests that the surname was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, a record mentions a Richard de Norewod, indicating the use of the surname in its early form. During this period, the name was also spelled as "Norewode" and "Norewude," reflecting the variations in spelling common in medieval times.

Notable individuals with the surname Norwood include Sir John Norwood (c.1450-1508), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1509. Another prominent figure was Richard Norwood (1590-1675), an English mathematician and surveyor known for his work in surveying the colony of Virginia in the mid-17th century.

In the 18th century, John Norwood (1715-1767) was a British naval officer and explorer who participated in the exploration of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America. Meanwhile, Richard Norwood (1761-1823) was an English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House.

A more recent historical figure was Sir Cyril Norwood (1875-1956), a prominent English educator and headmaster who served as the President of St. John's College, Oxford, from 1934 to 1946.

While the surname Norwood has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely due to migration and the influence of the British Empire. The name has maintained its connection to its locational roots, reflecting the historical significance of place names and their role in the development of surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Norwood

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

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 Norwood 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 Norwood 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 Norwood was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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