Edwards
A common surname meaning “son of Edward,” especially widespread in Wales and English-speaking regions.
The #58 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 929 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Edwards is a patronymic surname formed from the personal name Edward with the English genitive -s, meaning “Edward’s son” or “belonging to Edward.” The name Edward itself is Old English, from elements meaning “wealth, prosperity” and “guardian.” In Welsh usage, Edwards is also a very common anglicized patronymic form, and several older families were of Welsh gentry or patrician descent.
History
By the 19th century, Edwards was already one of the most frequent surnames in the British Isles, especially in Wales and London. Historical writers note that many Welsh families of the name claimed descent from older Welsh lines, including gentry branches such as Edwards of Nanhoron. It also spread widely through Britain and later to North America, where it remains a common surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One 19th-century source remarked that Edwards was so common that more than 250 London traders bore the name, and it ranked around 20th in frequency in the Registrar-General’s list.
From the historical record
“from the celebrated Tudor Trevor. B.L.G. EDWARDS. This name is so common tliat more than two hundred and fifty London traders bear it. In the Registrar- General's List it occupies the twentieth place for frequency, there being for every four Smiths or Joneses about one Ed- wards, or 25 per cent. Many families of…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom