Woodfin
From the English elements "wood" and "fine", suggesting excellence regarding woodland areas.
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Woodfin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Woodfin today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Woodfin births was 1921 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Woodfin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Woodfin is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Woodfins were born before 1957.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Woodfin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
1921
10 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1950 SSA rank
#3,675
Tracked since 1890
Popularity
Woodfin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Woodfin from the 1890s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 23 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Woodfin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Woodfin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Woodfin
The name Woodfin is an English given name with origins dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "wudu" meaning wood and "fenn" meaning fen or marsh. The name likely originated in areas of England where there were wooded marshlands or forests, such as the regions of East Anglia or the West Country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Woodfin can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Wudufenn" and "Wudufyn," indicating its Old English roots.
While the name Woodfin does not appear to have any direct connections to religious scriptures or ancient texts, it was likely used among the common folk in medieval England. During this period, many given names were derived from physical or geographical features, reflecting the close connection between people and their natural surroundings.
One notable figure in history who bore the name Woodfin was Sir Woodfin de Wodeford (c. 1280-1345), a knight and landowner from Wiltshire, England. He served in the retinue of King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War and was known for his military exploits against the French.
Another Woodfin of historical significance was William Woodfin (1570-1641), a merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He was influential in the early colonization efforts of Virginia and was among the investors in the Virginia Company of London, which established the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown.
In the 18th century, Woodfin Benton (1712-1789) was a prominent figure in the American colonies. He served as a militia captain during the French and Indian War and later became a respected landowner and community leader in what is now West Virginia.
During the American Revolutionary War, Woodfin Ferris (1745-1821) was a patriot soldier who fought in several battles, including the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. After the war, he became a successful farmer and played an active role in the civic affairs of his community in North Carolina.
In the 19th century, Woodfin Allen (1810-1879) was a prominent businessman and politician from Ohio. He served as a member of the Ohio State Senate and was influential in the development of railroads and other infrastructure projects in the state.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diversity of individuals who have carried the name Woodfin throughout the centuries, reflecting its enduring presence in English and American culture.
People
Woodfin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Woodfin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Woodfin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Woodfin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Woodfin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Woodfin a common name?
We classify Woodfin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 61 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Woodfin most popular?
The single biggest year for Woodfin was 1921, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Woodfin is about 79 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Woodfin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Woodfin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Woodfin in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Woodfin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Woodfin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Woodfin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Woodfin as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.