US Popularity Rank: 7442

Origin: British

Meaning: Woods protector

Woodward is a masculine English name. Composed of the words wudu meaning “wood” and weard meaning “protector,” it was meant to refer to a forester who was employed to look after the trees and animals in a forest. One of its more famous bearers is Robert Woodward, the American investigative journalist whose reporting on the Watergate scandal led to the resignation of President Nixon. So Woodward is one of those names that will naturally inspire your little one to always look out for the vulnerable and care for those in need.