He’s a surname pick with a supercool namesake.
With congratulation to S.J. on her new son, our Baby Name of the Day is Elwood.
Back in 1978, when everyone was watching Saturday Night Live, Dan Akroyd and John Belushi introduced a new duo, The Blues Brothers. It was one of the first SNL skits to spawn a successful movie spin-off. John played Joliet Blues, called Jake, while Dan answered to Elwood.
One half of the duo had an impact on baby naming. We give Twilight lots of credit for the rise of Jacob, but that’s just wrong. Jake entered the Top 100 in 1974, and was lifted by pop culture uses in the 1980s – from Sixteen Candles’ handsome Jake Ryan to Joliet Blues.
And yet Elwood has languished. He occupied the US Top 1000 every year from 1880 through 1969, but has been seldom heard since. Just 17 boys received the name in 2011.
There are two possible origins for Elwood. The first – and most obvious – is the he derives from ellern – elder tree in Old English – and wudu – wood. This makes him a place name akin to Ashley. The first Elwood was likely in Gloucestershire, but there are plenty now, including half-a-dozen in the US. It is also possible that Elwood comes from an Old English given name, drawing on that incredibly powerful element ælf – elf. Ælfwald and Ælfwold both appear in the historical record, as does Æthelwald, an eighth century king of Northumbria. Or, as is so often the case, both influences combined to create a name in steady use.
Other than the Blues brother, the most famous Elwood is another fictional figure, Elwood P. Dowd, friend of giant, invisible rabbit Harvey. The 1944 play Harvey spawned a 1950 movie. Both were successful – the play, written by Mary Chase, garnered a Pulitzer, and the film remains a classic. James Stewart played Elwood P. Dowd, a fellow with an imaginary friend. His eccentricities are accepted to varying degrees by those in his life. The person who cannot abide Elwood’s invisible BFF is his sister, Veta, an ambitious sort bent on curing her brother. The movie ends well, with even Veta convinced that Elwood’s outlook on life has merit.
But here’s the burning question: Blues is cool and Dowd is quirky and admirable, but could you name a baby boy Elwood? Woody is the obvious nickname, and while it has some drawbacks, it also has some serious potential. There’s the filmmaker and the Cheers bartender who shared his name with the actor who portrayed him. (Though Harrelson was born Woodrow and Allen legally changed his named from Allen Koningsberg to Heywood Allen.) There’s also the heroic cowboy from the Toy Story trilogy, a reference that will be front of mind to generations of children and parents alike.
Overall, Elwood is somewhere between an unconventional hipster choice – the masculine equivalent of Opal – and names that are just plain unfairly forgotten. He’s half-edgy cool and half-humble homespun. There’s a lot to admire about Elwood.
3/26/15 – My grandfather’s name was Alonzo Elwood and he later had it legally changed to Elwood Alonzo. My father’s name is Samuel but his middle name is Elwood which is so appropriate since Elwood derives from the Old English word “ellern” which means elder tree. My dad was a very tall man, like a towering tree, at 6’5″. Lastly, my parents dubbed my brother, Craig, the middle name of Elwood. A few days ago I saw a wonderful live theatre rendition of the play “Harvey.” Elwood P. Dowd captured my heart with his kind and pleasant, albeit eccentric, philosophy.
My surname is Elwood and I had an ancestor with the first name Elwood, i.e. Elwood Alfred Elwood. On the whole and for obvious reasons though, I prefer it as a surname.
Btw Caitie, lots of place names are named after people and as I’ll be in Melbourne for the cricket at Christmas, I’ll make a point of visiting your Elwood!
Thank you everyone, from my busy household of three! Â Of course choosing this name we knew it wasn’t for everyone, which is what we wanted. However, avoiding a top 10 or even top 100 is one thing but daring to enter the over 1000 range does take courage as some you have spoke of!
Elwood was on our list of names for months and we just couldn’t shake it as being our favourite, even with great competitors like Leo, Asher, Arlo and Cove.
Being our third I felt no need to keep our naming a secret, actually we wanted to try our names out on friends and family to prepare ourselves for the general reaction to it. It was also a way to prepare them. Â
We find the name masculine but soft and charming. Â I’m keen on Woody yet but Ed is a nice option as is Del or maybe Elo? Leo is a stretch but who knows. For now his name is Elwood and maybe with time a nn will present itself.
Correction. I’m not keen on Woody yet…
I love the quirky old-man-adorableness of this name. I don’t think I’d use Elwood but I have my own quirky old-man-adorable name waiting (it’s Herschel).
I live in a suburb called Elwood in Melbourne Australia, so I am afraid this just doesn’t sound like a name to me! I guess it could work somewhere else though. We also have a clothing brand over here called Elwood.
I have been loving Elwood!!! I noticed it on my family history chart a few years back (after I started liking the name) which made me like it even more! It quite possibly might the a name of my future child. But do you think Delmer and Elwood are too similar with the “el” sound? Thank you for the name history! S.J. I am super happy you chose this name for your son! I didn’t even know anyone else really knew about this name. I like Woodrow too
Congratulations, S.J.!
I really, really like Elwood and I admire parents daring enough to use him. I’m not sure that I would be that spunky. Of course, if we did ever use the name on a theoretical future baby my Blues Brothers fan of a father-in-law would probably be pleased.
I think Elwood is pretty cool. Like others have said, it might not be a name I’d use, but I’d love to meet a baby Elwood.
Ed is another nn possibility if Woody isn’t one’s style. I also like Del as a nn possibility.
The father of my mother’s BFF in high school was named Elwood (he was probably born in the 1910s or 1920s). When we would visit, he was always dressed in a suit, even in summer, unless he’d been out gardening. He and his wife Florence lived in a rambling Victorian house that I used to love. Not a name I would use, but I definitely have fond memories associated with this name.
Congrats SJ!
Not something I would use, but I would love to meet a little Elwood. I won’t lie, I very strongly associate with the Blues Brothers, but I do think they’re cool.