Given name & surname
Elwood
“from the nobleman's forest; from the old forest”
Elwood is a variant of Ellwood. One English interpretation is “from the nobleman's forest; from the old forest.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Elwood is a variant of Ellwood. One English interpretation is “from the nobleman's forest; from the old forest.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Elwood is a variant of Ellwood. An origin associated with Ellwood is English.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Elwood through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 20,839
- 20,786 boys · 53 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 625 babies
- 2025
- 81
- #1,921 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +38%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 81 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,921 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 37.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 613 in 1921. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,454 as a first name in 2020; 4,781 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Elwood’s family of names
Elwood has a related form in Ellwood. In English usage, Elwood has a related form in Ellwood. In English usage, Elwood as a surname has a related form in ALLWOOD.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Elwood
- Elwood HaynesAmerican inventor (1857–1925)
- Elwood V. JensenAmerican biologist (1920-2012)
- Elwood CookeUS tennis player (1914-2004)
- Elwood HillisAmerican politician (1926–2023)
- Elwood EdwardsAmerican voice actor (1949–2024)
- Elwood MeadAmerican academic and politician (1858-1936)
- Elwood ZimmermanAmerican entomologist (1912-2004)
- Elwood FrancisAmerican musicianborn 1962
- Elwood ReidAmerican writerborn 1966
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Elwood, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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