Edward
Meaning: Its source is ead weard, an Old English name meaning "Wealth protector."
Languages: This boy's name is used in English and Polish.
Popularity: The name Edward ranked 115th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 19th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
This name was popular earlier in the 20th century, then fell off in usage, but has begun making a comeback in recent years.
Narrative: Three pre-Conquest and eight post-Conquest English kings have borne the name Edward, and the name is found in the English royal household to this day. This is remarkable because the Normans brought in their French names (Roger, William, Richard and many others) and entirely wiped out many older Germanic names (such as Eofor, Goda and Wulfwig.)
Edward's continuation can be attributed to the influence of Edward the Confessor, who ruled England early in the 11th century. An Anglo-Saxon king with Norman connections, he was esteemed by both peoples. When he died without an heir, rival claimants arose on both sides of the Channel; William of Normandy prevailed in the war that followed.
Within three generations, a Norman king was named Edward in honor of the Confessor.
Arts and Music
- Edward Joseph Blackwell (born 1929, died 1992)
American jazz musician.
- Drummer who contributed to the development of free jazz (see list of Critics' Picks for the Jazz Hall of Fame)
- Edward Burne-Jones (born 1833, died 1898)
English Pre-Raphaelite artist.
- Painter, illustrator and designer of stained glass and tiles (see list of Graphic Designers)
- Edward Elgar (born 1857, died 1934)
English composer.
- Composed Pomp and Circumstance (see list of Romantic Composers)
- Edward Kennedy ''Duke'' Ellington (born 1899, died 1974)
American jazz musician.
- Pianist, composer and bandleader (see list of Readers' Picks for the Jazz Hall of Fame)
- Wrote ''''Sophisticated Lady'''' and ''''Satin Doll'''' (see list of Songwriters)
- Edward Hopper (born 1882, died 1967)
American scene painter.
- Painted Automat (see list of 20th-century Modern Artists)
- Edward Kauffer
American graphic designer and poster artist.
- Known for his work in the Art Deco style (see list of Graphic Designers)
- Edward Koren (born 1935)
American cartoonist.
- Known for his contributions to New Yorker magazine (see list of Cartoonists)
- Edward MacDowell (born 1861, died 1908)
American composer.
- Composed To a Wild Rose (see list of Romantic Composers)
- Edward Steichen (born 1879, died 1973)
American photographer who promoted photography as an art form.
- A member of the International Photography Hall of Fame (see list of International Photography Hall of Fame)
- Edward Weston (born 1886, died 1958)
American photographer best known for his landscapes of the American West.
- A member of the International Photography Hall of Fame (see list of International Photography Hall of Fame)
Leadership
- Edward R. Becker
American judge.
- Circuit Judge, Third Circuit Court (see list of Judges of the U.S. Courts of Appeals)
- Edward B. Brandon
- CEO of Fortune 500 company National City Corp. (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Edward E. Carnes
American judge.
- Circuit Judge, Eleventh Circuit Court (see list of Judges of the U.S. Courts of Appeals)
- Edward the Confessor (born 1002, died 1066)
King of the English, 1043-66.
- Considered more monk than king, hence his nickname; built the first Westminster Abbey (see list of British Monarchs)
- Edward H. Harriman (born 1848, died 1909)
American financier and railroad executive.
- Railroad magnate involved with the Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, and Central Pacific Railroads (see list of Miscellaneous Business Leaders)
- Edward I (born 1239, died 1307)
King of England, 1275-1307.
- Conquered Wales and Scotland (see list of British Monarchs)
- Edward II (born 1284, died 1327)
King of England, 1307-27.
- The title character of a famous play by Elizabethan playwright and poet Christopher Marlowe (see list of British Monarchs)
- Edward III (born 1312, died 1377)
King of England, 1327-77.
- Son of Edward I, his reign is notable for the beginning of the 100 Years'' War against the French (see list of British Monarchs)
- Edward IV (born 1442, died 1483)
King of England, 1461-70 and 1471-83.
- Overthrown during the Wars of the Roses in favor of Henry VI, but managed to regain the throne (see list of British Monarchs)
- Edward B. Rust, Jr.
- CEO of Fortune 500 company State Farm Group (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company State Farm Group (see list of 1997 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company State Farm Insurance Group (see list of 1998 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company State Farm Insurance Group (see list of 1999 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company State Farm Insurance Group (see list of 2000 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Edward E. Whitacre, Jr.
- CEO of Fortune 500 company SBC Communications Inc (see list of 1999 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company SBC Communications Inc . (see list of 2000 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company SBC Communications Inc. (see list of 1997 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company SBC Communications Inc. (see list of 1998 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company SBC Communications Inc (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Edward R. Stettinius, Jr.
American diplomat.
- U.S. representative to the United Nations, 1946 (see list of U.S. Representatives to the United Nations)
- Edward E. Crutchfield, Jr.
- CEO of Fortune 500 company First Union Corporation (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Edward M. Kennedy (born 1932)
American legislator. Brother of Robert Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy.
- U.S. senator from Massachusetts, 1962- (see list of Miscellaneous Political Leaders)
- Edward M. Liddy
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Allstate (see list of 1999 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Allstate (see list of 2000 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- J. Edward Lumbard
American judge.
- Senior Circuit Judge, Second Circuit Court (see list of Judges of the U.S. Courts of Appeals)
- Edward Otho Cresap Ord (born 1818, died 1883)
Union general in the U.S. Civil War.
- Fought with the Army of the Potomac, then joined the fighting in the West; returned to the Eastern Theater when Grant took command (see list of Some Union Generals of the Army of the Potomac)
- Sir Edward Pakenham (born 1778, died 1815)
British general. Died leading an unsuccessful assault on Andrew Jackson's army at New Orleans.
- Commanded British troops on the Iberian Peninsula under the Duke of Wellington (see list of Generals of the Napoleonic Wars)
- Edward J. Perkins (born 1928)
American diplomat.
- U.S. representative to the United Nations, 1992-93 (see list of U.S. Representatives to the United Nations)
- Edward Rutledge
- Signer, Declaration of Independence, South Carolina (see list of Signers of the Declaration of Independence)
- Edward T. Sanford (born 1865, died 1930)
American jurist.
- U.S. Supreme Court justice, 1923-30 (see list of U.S. Supreme Court Justices)
- Edward S. Smith
American judge.
- Senior Circuit Judge, Federal Circuit Court (see list of Judges of the U.S. Courts of Appeals)
- Edward V (born 1470, died 1483)
King of England, April-June 1483.
- One of the Princes in the Tower -- held captive with his brother and allegedly murdered by his uncle, Richard III (see list of British Monarchs)
- Edward VI (born 1537, died 1553)
King of England, 1547-53.
- Only son of King Henry VIII (see list of British Monarchs)
- Edward VII (born 1841, died 1910)
King of England, 1901-10. Son of Queen Victoria.
- Known as ''''the Peacemaker'''' (see list of British Monarchs)
- Edward VIII (born 1894, died 1972)
King of England, 1936.
- Abdicated after less than a year on the throne to marry Mrs. Simpson, a divorced American who was considered unacceptable as queen (see list of British Monarchs)
- Edward D. White (born 1845, died 1921)
Confederate soldier who became a prominent U.S. senator and jurist.
- U.S. Supreme Court justice, 1894-1921; Chief Justice, 1920-21 (see list of U.S. Supreme Court Justices)
Miscellaneous
- Edward F. Beale
- National Cowboy Hall of Fame (see list of National Cowboy Hall of Fame)
- Edward W. Brooke (born 1919)
American politician. Senator, R-Massachusetts, 1956-69; the first African-American elected to the Senate since Reconstruction.
- 1967 Spingarn Medal winner (see list of Spingarn Medal Winners)
- Edward Creighton
- National Cowboy Hall of Fame (see list of National Cowboy Hall of Fame)
- Edward Kennedy ''Duke'' Ellington (born 1899, died 1974)
American jazz musician.
- 1959 Spingarn Medal winner (see list of Spingarn Medal Winners)
- 1969 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
- Edward T. Folliard
- 1970 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
- Edward King Gaylord
- National Cowboy Hall of Fame (see list of National Cowboy Hall of Fame)
- Edward Cunningham Lasater
- National Cowboy Hall of Fame (see list of National Cowboy Hall of Fame)
- Edward R. Murrow (born 1908)
Broadcast journalist.
- 1964 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
- Edward M. Purcell (born 1912, died 1997)
American physicist who developed nuclear magnetic measurement instruments.
- 1960 Time Magazine Man of the Year (see list of Time Magazine's Man of the Year Honorees)
- Edward Steichen (born 1879, died 1973)
American photographer who promoted photography as an art form.
- 1963 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
- Edward Teach (died 1718)
English pirate.
- Better known by his nickname, Blackbeard (see list of Soldiers & Swashbucklers)
- Edward Teller (born 1908)
Hungarian-American physicist who helped develop the hydrogen bomb.
- 1960 Time Magazine Man of the Year (see list of Time Magazine's Man of the Year Honorees)
Science and Philosophy
- Edward V. Appleton
British physicist known for his investigations of the physics of the upper atmosphere.
- 1947 Nobel Prize winner in Physics (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Physics)
- Edward A. Doisy (born 1893, died 1986)
American biochemist known for his work on blood buffers, sex hormones and vitamin K.
- 1943 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology/Medicine, with Henrik Dam (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine)
- Edward Gibbon (born 1737, died 1794)
English historian.
- Wrote The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (see list of Historians)
- Edward G. Gibson
American astronaut.
- Astronaut on Skylab 4 (1973) (see list of Spaceflight Veterans)
- Edward H. Heinemann
American aviator and engineer.
- 1982 National Medal of Science winner (see list of National Medal of Science Winners)
- Member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (see list of National Aviation Hall of Fame)
- Edward H. White II
The first American astronaut to walk in space.
- Apollo One astronaut killed January 27, 1967 (see list of Names on the Space Mirror Memorial)
- Astronaut on Gemini 4 (1965), killed on Apollo One (1967) (see list of Spaceflight Veterans)
- Edward Jenner (born 1749, died 1823)
British physician.
- Discovered a vaccination for smallpox (see list of Medical Practitioners)
- Edward C. Kendall (born 1886, died 1972)
American biochemist known for his hormone research.
- 1950 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology/Medicine, with Philip Hench and Tadeus Reichstein (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine)
- Edward F. Knipling
- 1966 National Medal of Science winner (see list of National Medal of Science Winners)
- Edward B. Lewis (born 1918)
American physiologist known for his studies of how genes control the structural development of the body.
- 1990 National Medal of Science winner (see list of National Medal of Science Winners)
- 1995 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology/Medicine, with Eric Wieschaus and Christiane Nuesslein-Volhard (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine)
- Edward Tsang Lu (born 1963)
American astronaut and physicist.
- Astronaut on Atlantis (1997) (see list of Spaceflight Veterans)
- Edward M. Purcell (born 1912, died 1997)
American physicist who developed nuclear magnetic measurement instruments.
- 1979 National Medal of Science winner (see list of National Medal of Science Winners)
- 1952 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, with Felix Bloch (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Physics)
- Edward V. Rickenbacker (born 1890, died 1973)
World War I U.S. Army flying ace; later general manager of Eastern Airlines.
- Member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (see list of National Aviation Hall of Fame)
- Edward Sapir (born 1884, died 1939)
American anthropologist and linguist.
- Best known for his studies on the ethnology and linguistics of Native Americans in the northwestern U.S. (see list of Miscellaneous Social Scientists)
- Edward C. Stone (born 1936)
American physicist.
- 1991 National Medal of Science winner (see list of National Medal of Science Winners)
- Edward L. Tatum (born 1909, died 1975)
American biochemist who discovered that genes act by regulating chemical events.
- 1958 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology/Medicine, with George Beadle and Joshua Lederberg (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine)
- Edward Teller (born 1908)
Hungarian-American physicist who helped develop the hydrogen bomb.
- 1982 National Medal of Science winner (see list of National Medal of Science Winners)
- Edward Wells
- Member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (see list of National Aviation Hall of Fame)
- Edward O. Wilson (born 1929)
American biologist and writer.
- 1976 National Medal of Science winner (see list of National Medal of Science Winners)
Sports
- Edward G. Barrow
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953 (see list of Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame)
- Edward Cooke
American athlete.
- 1908 Olympic track and field gold medal winner for Pole Vault (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in Miscellaneous Field Events)
- Edward ''Whitey'' Ford
Baseball player.
- 1961 Cy Young Award winner (see list of American League winners of the Cy Young Award)
- 1961 World Series Most Valuable Player (see list of World Series Most Valuable Players)
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 (see list of Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame)
- Edward Gordon
American athlete.
- 1932 Olympic track and field gold medal winner for Long Jump (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in the Long Jump)
- Edward Hamm
American athlete.
- 1928 Olympic track and field gold medal winner for Long Jump (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in the Long Jump)
- Edward Henning
American athlete.
- 1904 Olympic gymnastics gold medal winner for Horizontal Bars (see list of Gold Medalists in Individual Gymnastics Events)
- Edward ''Moose'' Krause
American basketball player.
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 (see list of Basketball Hall of Fame)
- Edward ''Easy Ed'' Macauley
American basketball player.
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960 (see list of Basketball Hall of Fame)
- Edward ''Ted'' Ray
- 1920 U.S. Open golf tournament winner (see list of U.S. Open Golf Champions)
- 1912 British Open golf champion (see list of British Open Golf Champions)
- W. Edward Sharp (born 1911, died 1996)
American ski resort developer.
- Elected to the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame in 1996 (see list of Members of the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame)
- Edward A. Wachter
American basketball player.
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961 (see list of Basketball Hall of Fame)
Stage and Screen
- Edward Albee (born 1928)
American playwright.
- 1996 Kennedy Center Honors recipient (see list of Kennedy Center Honors Recipients)
- Edward Arnold (born 1890, died 1956)
American actor.
- On Hollywood''s Footprints of Fame (see list of Celebrities Honored by Mann's Chinese Theater)
- Edward Asner (born 1929)
American actor.
- Portrayed Lou Grant (see list of Actors on ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'')
- Portrayed Capt. Thomas Davies (see list of Actors on ''Roots'')
- Edward George Power Biggs
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording (see list of Recording Personalites with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Edward
- Portrayed by Christopher Beeny (see list of Characters on ''Upstairs, Downstairs'')
- Edward Kennedy ''Duke'' Ellington (born 1899, died 1974)
American jazz musician.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording (see list of Recording Personalites with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Edward Gibson
- The son of Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore (see list of see Celebrity Babies)
- Edward Everett Horton (born 1886, died 1970)
American actor.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Edward R. Murrow (born 1908)
Broadcast journalist.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television (see list of Television Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Edward James Olmos
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Edward Quartermaine
Fictional character.
- Character on the soap opera ''''General Hospital'''' (see list of Characters on ''General Hospital'')
- Edward G. Robinson (born 1893, died 1972)
Rumanian-born American actor and artist. Original name: Emmanuel Goldenberg.
- Winner of the 1949 Cannes Film Festival Best Actor award, for House of Strangers (see list of Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Winners)
- On Hollywood''s Footprints of Fame (see list of Celebrities Honored by Mann's Chinese Theater)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Edward Sedgwick
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Edward Small
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Edward Villella (born 1936)
American dancer.
- 1997 Kennedy Center Honors recipient (see list of Kennedy Center Honors Recipients)
- Edward Yang (born 1947)
Chinese born electrical engineer and film maker
- Winner of the 2000 Cannes Film Festival Best Director award, for Yi Yi (see list of Cannes Film Festival Best Director Winners)
The Literary World
- Edward Adams
- 1969 Pulitzer Prize winner for Spot News Photography (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography)
- Edward Albee (born 1928)
American playwright.
- Three-time Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama, in 1967 for A Delicate Balance, in 1975 for Seascape, and in 1994 for Three Tall Women (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama)
- Wrote Who''s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (see list of Prose Writers of the 20th Century)
- Edward Ball
American journalist
- 1998 National Book Award winner for Slaves In the Family (see list of Winners of the National Book Award for Nonfiction)
- Edward Bok (born 1863, died 1930)
American writer and editor.
- 1921 Pulitzer Prize winner for Biography/Autobiography, for The Americanization of Edward Bok (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography)
- Edward Channing (born 1856, died 1931)
American historian.
- 1926 Pulitzer Prize winner for History, for The History of the United States (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for History)
- Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon (born 1609, died 1674)
English statesman and historian.
- Wrote History of the Rebellion (see list of Writers of the 17th Century)
- Edward R. Cony
- 1961 Pulitzer Prize winner for National Reporting (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting)
- Edward Corcoran
Fictional character.
- He was murdered June 19, 1958 in Stephen King''s novel It (see list of Characters in It)
- Edward Estlin Cummings (e. e. cummings) (born 1894, died 1962)
American poet.
- Wrote Tulips and Chimneys (see list of Poets of the 20th Century)
- 1957 Bollingen Prize winner (see list of Winners of the Bollingen Prize for Poetry)
- Edward Deepneau
Fictional character.
- Ralph''s neighbor in Stephen King''s novel Insomnia (see list of Characters in Insomnia)
- Edward Dyer (died 1607)
English poet and diplomat.
- Wrote ''''My Mind to Me a Kingdom Is'''' (see list of Writers of the 16th Century)
- Edward
- Name of several English noblemen in Shakespeare''s plays, including kings Edward IV and V who appear in Henry VI, Pt. III and Richard III (see list of Shakespearean Characters)
- Edward Kennedy ''Duke'' Ellington (born 1899, died 1974)
American jazz musician.
- 1999 Pulitzer Special Award winner in commemoration of the centenial of his birth in recognition of his musical genius (see list of Winners of a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation)
- Edward FitzGerald (born 1809, died 1883)
English poet.
- Translated The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (see list of Poets of the Victorian Era)
- Edward T. Folliard
- 1947 Pulitzer Prize winner for National Reporting (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting)
- Edward Morgan ''E.M.'' Forster (born 1879, died 1970)
English novelist.
- Wrote A Passage to India (see list of Prose Writers of the 20th Century)
- Edward A. Harris
- 1946 Pulitzer Prize winner for National Reporting (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting)
- Edward Humes
- 1989 Pulitzer Prize winner for Specialized Reporting (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting)
- Edward M. Kingsbury
- 1926 Pulitzer Prize winner for Editorial Writing (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing)
- Edward Kleban (born 1939, died 1987)
American lyricist.
- 1976 Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama, for A Chorus Line (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama)
- Edward D. Kuekes
- 1953 Pulitzer Prize winner for Editorial Cartooning (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning)
- Edward J. Larson
American historian.
- 1998 Pulitzer Prize winner for History, for Summer of the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America''s Growing Debate over Science and Religion (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for History)
- Edward Lear (born 1812, died 1888)
English nonsense poet.
- Wrote The Book of Nonsense (see list of Poets of the Victorian Era)
- Edward S. Montgomery
- 1951 Pulitzer Prize winner for Reporting (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Reporting)
- Edward J. Mowery
- 1953 Pulitzer Prize winner for Investigative Reporting (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting)
- Edward M. Norris
Fictional character.
- A police lieutenant in Stephen King''s novel The Stand (see list of Characters in The Stand)
- Edward Sanders (born 1939)
American poet, short-story writer, novelist and musician.
- Wrote Thirsting for Peace in a Raging Century and Tales of Beatnik Glory (see list of Writers of the Beat Generation)
- Edward Thomas (born 1878, died 1917)
English poet.
- Wrote ''''Rain'''' (see list of Poets of the 20th Century)
- Edward O. Wilson (born 1929)
American biologist and writer.
- Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for General Nonfiction, in 1979 for On Human Nature and in 1991 for The Ants (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction)
Teasing Nicknames:
- Mr. Ed
- Fast Eddie
- Ed-dwarf
- Edweird
- Eddie Spaghetti
- Ed Ed the Big Fat Head
- Eddy Wetty, Wets his Beddy
- Petty Eddy
- Eddy Petty
Meaning: Its source is ead weard, an Old English name meaning "Wealth protector."
Popularity: The name Edward ranked 2834th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.
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