Surname Smalwode - Meaning and Origin

Smalwode: What does the surname Smalwode mean?

The surname Smalwode is likely an anglicized version of an Old Norse name. The original Norse name likely originated as a combination of "smalr" (meaning slender or small) and "woodi" (meaning wood).

The term "wood" has been used to refer to a wooded area, such as a forest or a grove. Thus, the original name could have been given to someone that lived near a small wooded area, or to someone who had a slender build. It may also have been given in honor of a tall, slender tree or a grove of trees.

The name Smalwode likely arrived with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Normans carried with them names from their homelands in northern Europe, using them to replace existing Saxon ones. Over time, the original Norse name became anglicized to Smalwode.

The name Smalwode is still found throughout Britain today, although its frequency may vary due to various historical events that have taken place over the centuries. It is also common in countries with a historical connection to Britain, such as the United States and Canada.

Smalwode: Where does the name Smalwode come from?

The surname Smalwode is most commonly found in the United Kingdom, particularly in the counties of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. This is likely because the name itself is derived from an Old English phrase referring to a small patch of woodland. This is especially true in the Bedfordshire town of Sharnbrook, which is said to have been a location of an old manor house owned by the Smalwode family from the 16th century onward.

It is also possible to find the Smalwode surname throughout the United States, where it has been present for more than a century. The earliest appearance of the family in the United States appears to have occurred in 1860, when a John Smalwode immigrated to the United States from England. Over the course of the 20th century, many other Smalwode individuals immigrated to the United States, with the first families settling in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. Later generations of the Smalwode family spread out to other states, so it is likely that the surname can be found in many parts of the country today.

In addition to the United Kingdom and the United States, the Smalwode surname is likely to be found in other countries with an extensively large population of British descendants, such as Australia and Canada. Wherever the name is found, it is likely derived from the same Old English roots.

Variations of the surname Smalwode

The surname Smalwode is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English words 'smael' and 'wudu', meaning 'small wood'. Variations of the name include Smalwood, Smallwood, Smellwood, Smithewood, Smitwood, Smoolwood, Smootwood, Smythewood and Smeltwood.

Variations of the surname can also be found in other countries. For example, in Germany, Scandinavia, Holland and elsewhere in Europe, the corresponding surnames are Small, Smalle and Klein (all meaning 'small'), Smid (meaning 'smith'), Smet (meaning 'smeared') and Smout (meaning 'small') respectively.

The surname Smalwode can be found in records from the 11th century, when it was listed as a place name in Staffordshire, England. The first recorded spelling of the name was as Smalwode, which appears on a charter from 12 separate locations in the 12th century. In the medieval period, more variants of the given name began to appear, including Sm1969alwode, Smallewood, Smideon, Smetwood, Smidtwood, Smelsonne, Smittenwood, Smootwood, Smithewof and Smytwood.

In the United States, the surname is often spelled Smallwood, Smalwood, or Smootwood. It is a relatively common name in America, due to the high number of emigrants from Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries.

In Scotland, the earliest recorded spelling is as Smidian in the 13th century, followed by Smalwode in the 14th century. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Smidéin, meaning 'son of the smith'. Common variants of the Scottish surname are MacSmeddin, Mac Smeddan, Mac Smedaine, Mac Smedeyne and MacSmeedon.

The surname Smalwode is still present in England and other countries around the world, although in some cases the variants have become the dominant forms of the name.

Famous people with the name Smalwode

• John Smallwood: former NBA basketball player
• Mark Smallwood: British record producer and songwriter
• Sam Smallwood: Australian former professional soccer player
• Liz Smallwood: British historian, academic and author
• James Smalwood: former British Army Field Marshal
• Tom Smallwood: ten-time World Champion bowler
• Ann Smalwood: former councillor of Hull City Council in UK
• Stanley Smalwood: American professional football coach 9.Greg Smalwood: former Scottish rugby union player
• Michael Smallwood: Australian rugby league player

Other surnames

Smalwood