Show ContentsCawloode History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestry of the name Cawloode dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in Yorkshire, where the name was taken from the town of Cawood in the county's West Riding. The place-name was first recorded as Kawuda in 963 AD and was originally derived from the Old English words ca, meaning jackdaw, and wudu meaning woods, and described a wood where by jackdaws were common.

Early Origins of the Cawloode family

The surname Cawloode was first found in North Yorkshire, where Cawood is a large village and civil parish in the Selby district. The village dates back to 963 when it was listed as Kawuda. 1 and was given by King Athelstan to the see of York, about 935, in the time of Archbishop Wulstan. Today it is better known as the place where the Cawood sword was found. It is regarded as "one of the finest Viking swords ever discovered" and is nearly 1,000 years old and can be seen at the Yorkshire Museum. This locale is also the home of Cawood Castle, a palace for the Archbishops of York which dates back to 1181. Today Cawood Castle is owned by the Landmark Trust.

Early History of the Cawloode family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cawloode research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1514 and 1572 are included under the topic Early Cawloode History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cawloode Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Cawloode have been found, including Cawood, Kawood, Cawoode, Cawod and others.

Early Notables of the Cawloode family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cawloode Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cawloode family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Cawloode, or a variant listed above: Richard Cawood who arrived in Barbados in 1635; and later moved to St. Christopher; Ann Cawood who settled in Maryland in 1676.



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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