Eadweard

Eadweard is a male given name of Old English origin. It represents an early medieval form of Edward, combining the elements ead meaning prosperity or fortune and weard meaning guardian or watcher. In modern English the standard form is Edward, while Eadweard survives primarily in historical contexts, literary uses, and as a distinctive variant spelling in biographical references.

The name appears in medieval England under various spellings such as Eadward, Eadwarde, and Ēadweard. It is largely historical today, with Edward overwhelmingly preferred as the contemporary form. The usage reflects broader patterns in the evolution of English names from Old English to modern forms.

The best-known bearer is Eadweard Muybridge (1830–1904), a British-born photographer who emigrated to the United States. Muybridge is celebrated for pioneering motion studies of animals and humans using sequential photography and for developing projection techniques that influenced the later cinema. He conducted the famous "Horse in Motion" studies with the support of Leland Stanford, helping to lay groundwork for the study of movement and the development of motion-picture technology.

See also: Edward (given name). Eadweard Muybridge is the most prominent modern association with the name, but the form itself remains chiefly of historical interest.