Find out how popular the last name Woodal is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Woodal.

Woodal, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Woodal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woodal in America

Woodal is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woodal surname appeared 106 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Woodal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woodal to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Woodal

The surname Woodal originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. Its roots can be traced to the Old English words "wudu," meaning "wood," and "healh," meaning "nook" or "corner," and together it likely referred to someone who lived by a wooded nook or a corner surrounded by woods. Variants of the name, such as Woodhall and Woodall, were quite frequent in the Middle Ages, reflecting regional dialectical differences and the phonetic spelling of names at that time.

Woodal as a surname appears in historical references dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. For instance, records from Yorkshire, England, mention a Robert de Wodehalle in 1298. This early form of the name underscores the connection to locational significances, in this case to a hall near a wood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the modern spelling, Woodal, appears in parish registers from the late 16th century. In 1598, the baptism of Alice Woodal was documented in Warwickshire. This reference illustrates both the longevity and regional spread of the surname from its initial geographical origins.

James Woodal, born in 1624, was a noteworthy figure who played a minor role in the English Civil War as a fervent supporter of the Parliamentary side. He is remembered through various military roll calls and a few court records of the time, providing seminal pieces of evidence of the name's presence during a tumultuous period in English history.

Another reference can be found in the Will of Thomas Woodal, a tanner from Derby, who died in 1702. His will provides valuable insight into the socioeconomic status of those bearing the surname; as a successful tradesman, his legacy depicted a relatively affluent life amidst the burgeoning Industrial Revolution in England.

In 1803, Samuel Woodal, a prominent local figure in Lancashire, contributed significantly to the community as an early proponent of public education. He was instrumental in setting up some of the region's first free schools, thereby marking a significant contribution under the Woodal name during the early 19th century.

By tracing the Woodal surname through these periods and individuals, its rich history becomes evident, chronologically marking snapshots of socio-political, economic, and educational contributions made by bearers of the name over centuries within English society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woodal

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Woodal.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Woodal was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Woodal has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Woodal was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Woodal, please contact us.

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