# Elwood (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/elwood/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname transferred from the given name.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 5,000 |
| US rank (2010) | 6,744 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 61,749 people |
| Change since 2000 | +2.4% (4,881 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛlwʊd/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Allwood, Ellwood |

## Etymology

From the Middle English personal name Elwald, Elwold, Alwold, which is composed of the Old English elements ælf (“elf”) and weald (“rule”).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Elwood in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 92% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 1.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.8% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.1% |
| Two or more races | 1.5% |

## Similar surnames

Ellwood, Elliott, Elliot, Ewald, Ellett, Ewalt, Eliot.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.