Woods
A name derived from the Old English word "wudu," referring to a forested area.
Name Census estimates that about 552 living Americans carry the first name Woods. It is a predominantly male name (99.1% of registrations). The average person named Woods today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Woods births was 2024 (94 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Woods. 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.
People living today
552
~ 1 in 620,932 Americans
Peak year
2024
94 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,759
Tracked since 1912
Gender
Gender distribution for Woods
Out of the 572 babies given the name Woods since 1880, 99.1% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Woods as a male name
- Ranked #1,759 in 2024
- 94 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (94 births)
Woods as a female name
- Ranked #17,462 in 2023
- 5 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2023 (5 births)
Popularity
Woods: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Woods from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 371 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Woods 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 Woods during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Woods' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Texas, North Carolina, Georgia recorded the most babies named Woods, while Missouri, Michigan, Tennessee recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Woods
The name Woods is an English given name derived from the Old English word "wudu," which means "wood" or "forest." This name has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon culture and can be traced back to the 5th century AD when the Anglo-Saxons settled in England.
During the Middle Ages, the name Woods was often used as a descriptive surname for people who lived near or worked in the woods or forests. It later transitioned into a given name as well. The name gained popularity during the Renaissance period, particularly in England and other parts of the British Isles.
While there are no known direct references to the name Woods in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is believed to have been used as a personal name since the early medieval period. Some of the earliest recorded examples of the name include William Woods, an English clergyman who lived in the 14th century, and Robert Woods, a Scottish landowner from the 16th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Woods. One of the most famous was Tiger Woods, the legendary American professional golfer born in 1975, who revolutionized the sport with his exceptional skills and numerous victories.
Another prominent figure was John Woods, an English mathematician and logician (1837-1892), known for his contributions to the field of symbolic logic and the development of the Woods Game, a variation of the Game of Life.
In the literary world, Granville Woods (1856-1910) was an African American inventor and engineer, best known for his contributions to the development of the electric railway system and for patenting numerous inventions related to electric communications and control systems.
The name Woods also has a connection to the world of film and television. Donald Woods (1933-1998) was a South African journalist and anti-apartheid activist, whose life story was depicted in the 1987 film "Cry Freedom," starring Denzel Washington.
Lastly, Earl Woods (1932-2010), the father of Tiger Woods, was a prominent figure in the golfing world, serving as a mentor and coach to his son during his formative years and playing a significant role in shaping his successful career.
People
Woods + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Woods 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
Woods: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Woods?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 552 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Woods 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 620,932 US residents.
Is Woods a common name?
We classify Woods as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 572 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Woods most popular?
The single biggest year for Woods was 2024, when 94 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Woods is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Woods a male name?
Yes, 99.1% of people registered as Woods 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.
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.