Show ContentsNorwood History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The lineage of the name Norwood begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in or near "the north wood," as in the northernmost wood within a particular jurisdiction; or in one of the several places named Norwood or Northwood found throughout England. [1] Another source notes the name was derived from the words "north" + "wood." [2].

Early Origins of the Norwood family

The surname Norwood was first found in Devon, where Painot de Norwude was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1176. A few years later, Pipe Rolls for Kent include Alexander de Norwuda in 1190 and Geoffrey Northwud was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Norfolk in 1205. [3]

Some of the family were found in the parish of Sittingbourne in Kent where: "It is an incident worthy of notice in the ancient history of this town, that Henry V. was entertained at the Red Lion here, by John Northwood, a gentleman resident in the vicinity, at the expense of nine shillings and ninepence." [4]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings for the family: Mauger de Northwode, Bedfordshire; and William de Northwode, Suffolk and later, the Yorkshirew Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Tillot de Northwode; and Johannes Norwode. [5]

Early History of the Norwood family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Norwood research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1590, 1592, 1671, 1675, 1780 and 1791 are included under the topic Early Norwood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Norwood Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Norwood has undergone many spelling variations, including Norwood, Northwood, Norwold, Narwold and others.

Early Notables of the Norwood family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • Richard Norwood (1590?-1675), an English mathematician, and surveyor for the Bermuda Company, often called "Bermuda’s outstanding genius of the seventeenth century...

Norwood Ranking

In the United States, the name Norwood is the 1,262nd most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. [6]


United States Norwood migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Norwood were among those contributors:

Norwood Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Francis Norwood, who arrived in Boston in 1630
  • Richard Norwood, who settled in Virginia in 1643
  • Richard Norwood, who arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1644 [7]
  • Andrew Norwood, who arrived in Maryland in 1650 [7]
  • William Norwood, who landed in Maryland in 1655-1658 [7]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Norwood Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Eliz Norwood, who landed in Virginia in 1705 [7]
  • Richard Norwood, who settled in Georgia in 1733
  • Nathaniel Norwood, who landed in Mississippi in 1798 [7]
Norwood Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • David Norwood, who arrived in New York in 1830 [7]
  • C Norwood, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 [7]
  • Thomas Norwood, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 [7]
  • Eliza Norwood, aged 22, who arrived in New York, NY in 1855 [7]

Canada Norwood migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Norwood Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Will Norwood, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • William Norwood, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Mr. Francis Norwood U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Cape Ann Association [8]
  • Mr. Gustavus Norwood U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Cape Ann Association [8]
  • Mr. James Norwood U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Cape Ann Association [8]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Norwood migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Norwood Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Norwood, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for pick pocketing, transported aboard the "Caledonia" on 5th July 1820, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [9]

Contemporary Notables of the name Norwood (post 1700) +

  • Virginia Tower Norwood (1927-2023), American physicist, best known for her contribution to the Satellite Imaging Systems, known as "The Mother of Landsat"
  • Daron Norwood (1965-2015), American country music singer
  • Jerious Montreal Norwood (b. 1983), American NFL football running back
  • Charles Whitlow "Charlie" Norwood Jr. D.D.S. (1941-2007), American politician, Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 until his death
  • William "Willie" Raymond Norwood Sr. (b. 1955), American Gospel singer
  • Gabriel "Gabe" Daniel Norwood (b. 1985), Filipino-American professional basketball player
  • Brandy Rayana Norwood (b. 1979), American R&B and pop singer-songwriter, record producer, fashion model, actress
  • Scott Allan Norwood (b. 1960), former American football place kicker in the NFL
  • Thomas M Norwood (1830-1913), American Senator and Representative from Georgia
  • D. V. Norwood, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Georgia, 1896 [10]
  • ... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Norwood Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sub cruce vinces
Motto Translation: Under the cross, we shall conquer.


Suggested Readings for the name Norwood +

  • Francis Norwood, Immigrant to Massachusetts, and His Descendants, 1635-1987 by Maureen Norwood.

  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, April 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook