English from pre-Norman Old English, "prosperous guardian". This name was 'exported' to many European countries. The Polish spelling is the same as in English and other derived variants are shown above.

Old documents in Latin used Edwardus for Edward but Edrus is also found as an abbreviation. Searching on Ed* would allow for Latin case endings but would also find other names.

According to correspondence [MT] on the Rootsweb Argyll Message List, Gilnive, a Scottish Gaelic name of unknown origin, is Anglicized as Edward. MT also points out that Edward and Iver are both Anglicized forms of the Scottish Gaelic name Ìomhair so we class these as lesser synonyms.

Evander and Edward are both Anglicized forms of the Gaelic Ìomhair and are, to some extent, true synonyms. A private correspondent [WEMC] reports the case of two cousins born in the 1860s in Ross & Cromarty, Scotland, who were named Evander at birth but in the 1881 Census were recorded as Edward.

NB: The 1841 Census of Aberdeenshire shows a small but significant number of records where Edward had been entered as Edwd. This will not be found by a normal Soundex search.

There is some evidence for Edwina being an abbreviated form of Edwardina which is the Scottish feminine form of Edward + -ina but this is uncertain.  It is more likely to be the feminine form of Edwin.

Ned is a popular diminutive/pet name and in Ireland this is often extended to Nedeen [= "little Ned"] (Private correspondent [MS]).