Short Answer
Scope and source
This article presents a curated list of twenty surnames that are etymologically linked to trees, woods, or forests. The list is drawn from the Behind the Name database, where each entry explicitly references a tree or forest origin. The surnames are sorted alphabetically and are intended to illustrate the breadth of tree‑derived surnames across different languages and cultures. No frequency information is provided; the list is illustrative rather than exhaustive.
The surname list
| Surname | Origin / Formation | Brief explanation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ash | English | From Old English *æsc* “ash tree”, indicating a person who lived near ash trees. | Behind the Name |
| Atwood | English | From Middle English meaning “dweller at the wood”. | Behind the Name |
| Baum | German, Jewish | German for “tree”. | Behind the Name |
| Baumbach | German | From a place name meaning “tree stream”. | Behind the Name |
| Baumgartner | German | Occupational name for a person who worked or lived at an orchard, from *Baumgarten* “orchard”. | Behind the Name |
| Baumhauer | German | Occupational meaning “woodcutter”, derived from *Baum* “tree” and *hauen* “to chop”. | Behind the Name |
| Beech | English | Originally for a person who lived near a beech tree, from Old English *bece*. | Behind the Name |
| Aoki | Japanese | From Japanese 青 (ao) “green, blue” + 木 (ki) “tree, wood”. | Behind the Name |
| Apeldoorn | Dutch | From the name of a city in the Netherlands, meaning “apple tree”. | Behind the Name |
| Arbore | Italian | From Latin *arbor* “tree”, referring to someone who lived in the woods or worked as a woodcutter. | Behind the Name |
| Arce | Spanish | Means “maple tree” in Spanish. | Behind the Name |
| Ardelean | Romanian | From the Romanian region of Ardeal, possibly derived from Hungarian *erdő* “forest”. | Behind the Name |
| Asselman | Dutch | From Old Dutch *ask* “ash tree” and loh “woods on sandy soil”, or hasal “hazel tree”. | Behind the Name |
| Assenberg | Dutch | From Dutch es “ash tree” (plural essen) + berg “mountain”. | Behind the Name |
| Assendorp | Dutch | From the name of a place called Assendorp, composed of Dutch essen and dorp “village”, meaning “ash tree village”. | Behind the Name |
| Averesch | Dutch | From a place name, possibly from a dialectal variation of Dutch over meaning “over” combined with esch “ash tree”. | Behind the Name |
| Ashton | English | From Old English *æsc* “ash tree” + tun “enclosure, yard, town”. | Behind the Name |
| Ashley | English | From Old English *æsc* “ash tree” + leah “woodland, clearing”. | Behind the Name |
| Cedar | English | From the cedar tree, indicating a person living near or working with cedar trees. | Behind the Name |
| Maple | English | From the maple tree, indicating a person associated with maple trees. | Behind the Name |
Patterns and context
Many of the surnames listed derive from common tree names (ash, beech, cedar, maple) or from place names that include a tree element. In several languages, the suffixes ‑berg (mountain), ‑dorp (village), and ‑tūn (town) combine with a tree root to form toponymic surnames, as seen in Assenberg, Assendorp, and Ashton. Occupational surnames such as Baumgartner and Baumhauer reflect professions linked to trees (orchard work, woodcutting).
Dataset or selection limitations
The list is based solely on the Behind the Name search results. The database does not provide frequency counts, and no threshold is applied; therefore, the list is illustrative and not exhaustive. Variants of the same root (e.g., Ash, Ashley, Ashton) are treated as distinct surnames because they appear separately in the database. The search page may include additional tree‑related surnames not listed here.
Explore the surnames and begin research
For each surname, a dedicated profile on Behind the Name offers further information on meaning, geographical distribution, and notable bearers. Researchers can begin by consulting these profiles, then consult census records, parish registers, and immigration lists that contain the surname in question. Checking spelling variants (e.g., Ash vs. Ashe) and phonetic equivalents can broaden the search and help establish genealogical connections.
Source and editorial status
Editorial review pending. The article is based on the publicly available Behind the Name database (accessed 2026‑10‑07). No additional verification has been carried out beyond the database search results.
FAQ
What does it mean that a surname is associated with woods?
It indicates that the surname's original meaning or place of origin involves a tree or forest, reflecting medieval naming practices.
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