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Home › Baby Names Directory › Woodward

Woodward

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Woodward

Pronounced WOOD-wurd /ˈwʊd.wərd/Low

Meaning: Woodward is an English occupational surname joining Old English wudu, 'wood, forest,' with weard, 'guardian, keeper,' for a 'forest warden' or 'keeper of the wood.' Used as a first name, it carries that clear occupational meaning along with a family-name feel.Low

In 30 seconds: Woodward is a rare boy's name from the English surname meaning 'forest guardian.' It saw brief early-1900s use, peaking around 1917 (said WOOD-wurd).
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Origin LowEnglish
MeaningWoodward is an English occupational surname joining Old English wudu, 'wood, forest,' with weard, 'guardian, keeper,' for a 'forest warden' or 'keeper of the wood.' Used as a first name, it carries that clear occupational meaning along with a family-name feel.
U.S. rank (1960)#4591 ↘ Falling
1960 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1917
Total births (all-time)≈ 205

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191719131960

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

Woodward comes to the given-name column from an English occupational surname, joining wudu, 'forest,' with weard, 'keeper.' The literal 'forest guardian' meaning is unusually transparent, and as a first name it carries both that image and the sense of a family surname honored.

As a first name Woodward was always thin, peaking modestly around 1917 before fading. A boy named Woodward then would be from the great-grandparent generation now, and the name survives chiefly as a surname today.

Did you know? A medieval woodward was a real official who guarded a lord's forest against poachers and timber theft, an occupation preserved whole inside the modern surname.
Overall data confidence 45%
References - Woodward — English occupational surname (wudu 'wood' + weard 'guardian') 'forest guardian'; surname-name; peaked around 1917.

Variations

WoodardWoodwordWooddardWoodward

Nicknames

WoodWoodyWard

Famous Bearers

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If you like Woodward…

Woodrow— a like Wood- boy's name of the era
Ward— the guardian element used as its own name
Hayward— a comparable -ward guardian surname-name
Forrest— a same-sense woodland name of similar feel

Explore names like Woodward

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Woodward mean?

It comes from the English surname meaning 'forest guardian' or 'keeper of the wood,' from Old English wudu and weard.

How do you pronounce Woodward?

It is said WOOD-wurd /ˈwʊd.wərd/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Woodward a boy or girl name?

Woodward is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Woodward?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fifteen boys a year at its early-century high, and it never became common.

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