English topographic name from Middle English wode, Old English wudu 'wood', for someone who lived or worked in a wood or forest. An early example is de la Wode in Hertfordshire (1242); it was also Latinized as de Bosco. Less often it was a nickname for a wild or frenzied person, from Old English wōd. In North America it absorbed cognates such as French Bois/Dubois, German Wald and Polish Les.
Spellings and related forms: Woods, Woodd, Woode, Wod, Wode, de Bosco (Latinized).
A small stand of trees shows the wood the first Woods lived beside.
Most surnames have no single "family crest". In heraldry, a coat of arms belonged to one person and passed down one line of descent. Sites that sell "the Wood coat of arms" usually show the arms of one historic family that shared the name. Ours is different on purpose: an original design built from what the name means, which any Wood can own honestly.
Blankets: soft velveteen plush (100% polyester), printed on one side; may run up to 3 in. short of the listed size. Rugs: polyester chenille with hemmed edges and a coated backing, for indoor use. Both are printed in the USA (Georgia and North Carolina).
Name meanings come from the sources above, checked 2026-10. Where scholars disagree, we say so.