The Wood family includes the Earls of Halifax, Viscounts Halifax of Monk Bretton, Baronets of Barnsley and Barons Irwin of Kirby Underdale in the County of York, descendants of Sir George Wood of Monk Bretton in Yorkshire, England.
Wood is a surname in the English language. It is common throughout the world, especially countries with historical links to Great Britain and Germany.
For the most part, the surname Wood originated as a topographic name used to describe a person who lived in, or worked in a wood or forest. This name is derived from the Middle English wode, meaning "wood" (from the Old English wudu). An early occurrence of this surname (of a personal residing near a wood) is de la Wode, recorded in Hertfordshire, England, in 1242. The locational name also appeared in early records Latinised as de Bosco (from the Old French bois, meaning "wood"). Another derivation for the surname is from a nickname of an eccentric or violent person, derived from the Old English wōd, wad, and Middle English wod, wode, all meaning "frenzied" or "wild". This derivation is considered to be much less common than the locational origin. An early occurrence of the surname derived in this fashion (from a nickname) is le Wode, recorded in Worcestershire, England, in 1221.
