Underwoood History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Underwoood belongs to the early history of Britain, it's origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived in a forest, below a forest on a hillside, or in either of the settlements called Underwood in Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire. The surname Underwoood belongs to both the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads, and the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Early Origins of the Underwoood family

The surname Underwoood was first found in Derbyshire at Underwood, a liberty, in the parish of Ashbourn, hundred of Wirksworth. Underwood is also a hamlet, in the parish of Selston, union of Basford in Nottinghamshire, but it is the former from where the family originated. 1 Literally the place names mean "place within or near a wood," from the Old English "under" + "wudu." 2

However, we must look to Suffolk for the first records of the surname for it is there in 1188 William de Underwode was found. A few years later in Yorkshire, William Underwude de Clokton was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1219. William Under the Wode was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1332. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings: John Underwode in Oxfordshire; and Hugh Underwod in Cambridgeshire. Robertus Vndrewode was listed in a Latin form of then name in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

Early History of the Underwoood family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Underwoood research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1632, 1789, 1791, 1794, 1847, 1853, 1858, 1873 and 1876 are included under the topic Early Underwoood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Underwoood Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Underwoood include Underwood, Underwoode and others.

Early Notables of the Underwoood family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Cecilia Underwood, Duchess of Inverness (1789-1873) née Gore, the second wife of Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (sixth son of King George III). Elizabeth Underwood (née Harris) (1794-1858) in Norfolk Island, New South Wales, Australia, a pioneering Australian land owner who founded the village (now a...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Underwoood Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Underwoood family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Underwoood were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: James Underwood settled in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630; Giles Underwood settled in Virginia in 1663; Martin Underwood and his wife Martha settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1634.

The Underwoood 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: Omnes arbusta juvant
Motto Translation: Groves (Underwood) delight all men.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)