Osgood

1. English: from the Old Norse personal name Ásgautr, composed of the elements ás ‘god’ + the tribal name Gaut (see Joslin). This was established in England before the Conquest, in the late Old English forms Ōsgot or Ōsgod, and was later reinforced by the Norman Ansgot.

2. Jewish: adoption of 1 in place of some like-sounding Ashkenazic surname.

See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.