Surname Hazelwood - Meaning and Origin
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Hazelwood: What does the surname Hazelwood mean?
The surname Hazelwood is of English origin and is topographical in nature, which signifies someone who lived near a particular physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. In this case, Hazelwood comes from Old English words "haesel" and "wudu", meaning "hazel" and "wood". So, someone bearing the Hazelwood surname likely had ancestors living near a hazel tree wood or grove. It could also be locational, originating from places named Hazelwood in Derbyshire, Essex, and Yorkshire in England. Like many surnames, Hazelwood would have been used to identify individuals based on their dwelling place.
Topographical surnames were among the earliest created, since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided distinguishing marks to identify people. As society became more complex, surnames like Hazelwood also served as a form of record-keeping, aiding authorities to keep track of people for tax purposes.
Order DNA origin analysisHazelwood: Where does the name Hazelwood come from?
The surname Hazelwood has English roots, originating from the Old English elements "hoesel", meaning hazel, and "wudu", meaning wood. Therefore, it refers to someone who lived by a wood or grove of hazel trees. The name first appeared in the East Riding of Yorkshire in the Northern part of England. Some believe the family was among the early Anglo-Saxon settlers in the region.
Historically, the Hazelwood family held a family seat (principal manor) at Alfreton in Derbyshire. Later, different branches of the Hazelwood family established themselves across England, particularly in Counties Yorkshire and Derbyshire, with others in Norfolk, London, and elsewhere in the British Isles.
The spread of the British Empire during the 18th and 19th centuries led to an expansion of the occurrence of the name Hazelwood abroad, particularly in English-speaking countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. Today, the name Hazelwood remains relatively uncommon, but it is most frequently found in the United States, England, and Australia according to the distribution data from Forebears and House of Names databases.
Variations of the surname Hazelwood
The surname Hazelwood is of English origin, derived from a place name in several areas of England, such as Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, and Staffordshire. It's thought to come from Old English "hæsel" meaning hazel and "wudu" meaning wood. Variations and alternate spellings include Hazlewood, Haselwood, Heselwood, Hesselwood, Hayselwood, Heslewood, and Hazelwood.
The surname has also been anglicized from similar surnames of different origins. For instance, the Irish surname "Mac Giolla Chomhaill" was anglicized as Hazelwood (in addition to multiple other Anglicization such as MacIlquham, McIlwham, McKilwhom, and others).
As families emigrated to other countries, the spelling was sometimes altered to make pronunciation easier, or to blend into the new culture. For instance, the surname Hazelwood could have been Americanized as Hazel or Wood. It's also quite possible that some families chose to translate the name to the new language, resulting in surnames like Haselnusswald in German or Nocciolobosco in Italian, both of which mean "hazel wood".
Surnames can change or evolve for numerous reasons, and the above are just a few examples. Therefore, there could be many more variations of the Hazelwood surname out there.
Famous people with the name Hazelwood
- Lee Hazlewood: American Country and Pop Singer-Songwriter
- Michael Hazlewood: English Theatre, Film & Television Actor
- David Hazlewood: American Actor & Writer
- Mary-Chapin Carpenter: American Singer & Songwriter (née Hazlewood)
- Larry Hazlewood: American Actor & Producer
- Faith Hill: American Singer & Songwriter (née Faith Perry Hazlewood)
- Billie Jo Spears: American Country Music Singer (née Billie Jean Hazlewood)
- Ashley Hazlewood: British Actress & Voice Artist
- Lance Hazlewood: American Cinematographer & Film Director
- Lowman Pauling: American Musician & Guitarist (formerly Lowman Hazzlewood)
- Tom Hazlewood: British Singer & Songwriter
- Enid Willard Hazlewood: Canadian Jazz Singer
- Howard Hazlewood: American Country Music Guitarist & Singer
- Jeanine Hazelwood: American Actress
- Crystal Hazlewood: American Singer