Ashwood History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Ashwood

What does the name Ashwood mean?

The Ashwood surname is derived from the Old English words "oesc," meaning ash, and "wudu," meaning wood. It comes from the class of local names, or names that are based on where the original bearer of the name lived. Ashwood may have originally been born by someone who lived by an ash wood, or the name may have come from a village or place so called. In some instances, the name may be a spelling variation of Ashworth.

Early Origins of the Ashwood family

The surname Ashwood was first found in Lancashire.

Early History of the Ashwood family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ashwood research. Another 38 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1285, 1602, 1622, 1657, 1680 and 1706 are included under the topic Early Ashwood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ashwood Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Ashwood include Ashwood, Ashwode, Assewode, Asswode, Asswood and others.

Early Notables of the Ashwood family

Bartholomew Ashwood (1622-1680), an English Puritan divine from Warwickshire
John Ashwood (1657-1706), an English Nonconformist minister and author. 1

Ashwood migration to Australia +

Ashwood Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Ashwood, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2
Aaron Ashwood, English convict from Shropshire, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Ashwood (post 1700) +

Jessica Ashwood (b. 1993), Australian swimmer at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Paul Ashwood, English-born associate professor of immunology at the MIND Institute at the University of California Davis
Albert Ashwood (b. 1959), American emergency management official, Director of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (1997-)
William Michael Ashwood, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Austin, Texas, 1981, 1985, 1988 4

Sources +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html