2000
#696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 44,830
First available Census row
Per 100,000 16.62
Uncommon Last name
Woodard
An English occupational surname for a forester or someone who lived near or worked in a wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 50,147 Americans carry the last name Woodard. That puts it at #775 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 14.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,835 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Woodard surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Woodard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
50K
1 in 6,835
Census rank
#775
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
14.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
44K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 43,731 bearers of the surname Woodard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 14.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 775th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Woodard, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.8%. The next largest groups are Black (33.3%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Woodard
The surname Woodard is of English origin, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "wudu" and "hird," meaning "wood" and "herd" or "keeper," respectively. It originally referred to someone who guarded or tended the woods, likely a forester or woodsman.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where it appears as "Wudehird." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time. In the 13th century, the name was also recorded as "Wodehird" and "Wodehurde" in various county records.
The Woodard surname has a strong association with certain regions of England, particularly the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. These areas were known for their extensive woodlands, which may have contributed to the prevalence of the name in those regions.
Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the Woodard surname. One of the earliest was John Woodard (c. 1490-1556), an English clergyman and chaplain to King Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was John Woodard (1613-1675), an English clergyman and educator who founded several schools in England, including the Woodard Schools.
In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of early colonial Virginia, with John Woodard (b. 1625) being one of the first settlers to arrive in the colony. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the American colonies and later the United States.
Other notable individuals with the Woodard surname include:
- Thomas Woodard (1767-1853), an American farmer and soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War.
- William Woodard (1806-1889), an English-born Australian explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in the exploration of Western Australia.
- James Woodard (1884-1966), an American blues musician and songwriter known for his work with Memphis Minnie.
- Alphonso Woodard (1925-2021), an American actor and singer who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his career.
While the Woodard surname has deep roots in England and the United States, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. Today, it is a name found in many countries, carrying with it a rich history and a connection to the woodlands of old.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Woodard
Among Census respondents with the surname Woodard, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.8%. The next largest groups are Black (33.3%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Woodard bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Woodard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White57.8% · 25,263
- Black or African American33.3% · 14,563
- Two or more races4.8% · 2,099
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 1,352
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 235
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 219
Timeline
Historical Census data for Woodard
Woodard appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#750
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 46,240
+1,410 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 15.68
Rank movement Down 54 places
2020
#775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 43,731
-2,509 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 14.63
Rank movement Down 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #696 | 44,830 | 16.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #750 | 46,240 | 15.68 | +1,410 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 54 places |
| 2020 | #775 | 43,731 | 14.63 | -2,509 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 25 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Woodard surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #750 | #775 | -3.3% |
| Count | 46,240 | 43,731 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 15.68 | 14.63 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Woodard bearers went from 46,240 to 43,731 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #750 to #775.
FAQ
Woodard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Woodard?
Name Census estimates that about 50,147 living Americans carry the surname Woodard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,835 residents.
How common is Woodard?
Woodard ranks #775 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 14.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 15 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 43,731 people with the surname Woodard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (50,147), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 14.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 14.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 15 of them to have the surname Woodard.
Has Woodard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Woodard went from 46,240 recorded bearers to 43,731. That is a decrease of 2,509 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #750 to #775.
What does the Census say about the background of Woodard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Woodard, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.8%. The next largest groups are Black (33.3%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Woodard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.8% (25,263 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Woodard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (57.8%), Black (33.3%), Two or More Races (4.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Woodard (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Woodard mean?
An English occupational surname for a forester or someone who lived near or worked in a wood. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Woodard (14.63 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Woodard?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.