Show ContentsMarwude History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Marwude name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in either of the settlements called Marwood in the counties of Devon and Durham. The surname Marwude belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. However, some experts theorize that the surname Marwude may be a nickname derived from the Old French word Malregard, which means evil look or evil eye.

Early Origins of the Marwude family

The surname Marwude was first found in Devon at Widworthy, a parish, in the union of Honiton, hundred of Colyton. "The church [of Widworthy], an ancient structure, contains the effigy of a knight in armour, and a fine monument by Bacon to the memory of James Marwood, Esq., a liberal benefactor to the parish. Benedictus Marwood, Esq., in 1742 gave £100, and the Rev. Joseph Somaster in 1770 left £50, to be applied to education." 1

Early History of the Marwude family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Marwude research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1601, 1635, 1672, 1680, 1681, 1725, 1739 and 1740 are included under the topic Early Marwude History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Marwude 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 Marwude has undergone many spelling variations, including Marwood, Marward, Morwood and others.

Early Notables of the Marwude family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir George Marwood, (1601-1680), 1st Baronet ; Sir Henry Marwood, (c. 1635-1725), 2nd Baronet; Sir Samuel Marwood, (c. 1672-1739), 3rd Baronet; and Sir William Marwood, (c. 1681-1740) 4th Baronet. "The worthies of Honiton [Devon] are few and far between. The Pole family...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Marwude Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Marwude family

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 Marwude were among those contributors: Joe Marwood settled in Virginia in 1635; John Marwood settled in Barbados in 1685; Jonas Marwood settled in Maryland in 1727; Alexander Morwood arrived in Philadelphia in 1850..



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


Houseofnames.com on Facebook