Show ContentsCharlewood History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Charlewood comes from when the family resided in the village and parish of Charlwood on the border of Sussex and Surrey which dates back to at least the 12th century when it was first listed as Cherlewde. Literally the place name means "wood of the freeman or peasants," from the Old English words "ceorl" + "wudu." 1

Early Origins of the Charlewood family

The surname Charlewood was first found in West Sussex, where Charlwood House is an early 17th-century timber-framed country house in Lowfield Heath, Crawley. "This place was the scene of a sanguinary battle between the Danes and the men of Surrey and Sussex, that occurred near a bridge since called Kilman Bridge, and in which the Danes were defeated with great slaughter." 2 Today Charlwood is a village and civil parish in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, but is on the historic county boundary between Surrey and Sussex.

Early History of the Charlewood family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Charlewood research. Another 207 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1500, 1591, 1592, 1688, 1779 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Charlewood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Charlewood Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Charlewood include Charlwood, Cherleswode, Charlewood, Charlwode, Charlwoode and many more.

Early Notables of the Charlewood family

More information is included under the topic Early Charlewood Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Charlewood family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Richard Charlwood who arrived in Virginia in 1658.



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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