Edwards is a patronymic surname, which arose separately in England and Wales. It means 'son of Edward '.Edwards is the 14th most common surname in Wales and 21st most common in England. Within the United States, it was ranked as the 49th-most common surname as surveyed in 1990, falling to 51st in 2014.dwards is the 14th most common surname in Wales and 21st most common in England.