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Atwood
Pronounced AT-wuud /ˈæt.wʊd/Medium
Meaning: Atwood is an English surname turned given name, from the phrase at the wood, marking an ancestor who lived beside a forest; it is widely recognized today from the author Margaret Atwood.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Atwood came into use as a first name the way many English surnames did, carried from a family line whose name meant simply at the wood. As a given name it was always scarce, reaching its modest high around 1914.
Never common, it was given to only a handful of boys a year, and it belonged mostly to the early twentieth century. A boy named Atwood at that peak would be from a great-grandfather's generation today. Its plain, woodsy meaning and its literary namesake give it an understated, bookish appeal.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Atwood mean?
It is an English surname meaning at the wood, for an ancestor who lived beside a forest.
How do you pronounce Atwood?
It is said AT-wuud /ˈæt.wʊd/, two syllables with the stress on the first.
Is Atwood a boy or girl name?
Atwood is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Atwood?
It has always been rare, given to only a handful of boys a year at its peak in the early nineteen-tens.