Fun Facts About the Name Underwood
- 15 babies named Underwood: U.S. records list 15 babies given the name Underwood from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Underwood Mean?
Underwood is an English surname, and as a given name it is a transferred use of that surname. Its usual meaning is topographic: 'at the foot of a wood' or 'below a wood.' The elements are Middle English under, 'under, below,' and wode, 'wood,' from Old English under and wudu.
The name is also habitational, from one or more English places called Underwood, especially Underwood in Nottinghamshire. Those place names have the same literal sense. The common noun underwood, meaning undergrowth or brush beneath trees, has the same form, and some explanations connect the surname with that word. The topographic and habitational explanations are the ones most often given.
Underwood Name History & Origins
The name belongs to the medieval English class of topographic surnames. In the centuries after the Norman Conquest, English families increasingly adopted hereditary bynames, including ones taken from where they lived. Middle English spellings such as Underwode show the same two elements as the modern surname.
The place name Underwood in Nottinghamshire preserves the Old English elements under and wudu. Other English places called Underwood may have contributed to the surname independently. Through English migration, Underwood spread as a family name to North America, Australia, and other English-speaking regions. As a first name, it is a transferred surname rather than an inherited Old English personal name.
How Popular is the Name Underwood?
Underwood has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1922. Its best rank was #3,724 in 1914.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | #4,912 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1920 | #4,937 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1914 | #3,724 | 5 | 0.0008% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with U
How the Name Underwood Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have talent, charm and luck. You can succeed in art and in any educational occupation. You attract peculiar experiences. Your power and protection lies in spiritual side of life. You are an enthusiastic collector and you will be tenacious in holding onto the things you accumulate. You have a good memory and should make an effort to have a positive attitude. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Underwood's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Underwood's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.