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

Woodbury, 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 Woodbury surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woodbury in America

Woodbury is the 4924th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woodbury surname appeared 7,144 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Woodbury.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woodbury 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 Woodbury

The surname WOODBURY originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "wudu" meaning wood and "bury" meaning a fortified town or manor. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived in or near a wooded manor or town.

One of the earliest known references to the name WOODBURY appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a "Willelmus de Wudebury" who held lands in Gloucestershire.

During the medieval period, various spellings of the name were used, including Wodebury, Wodbury, and Woodbery. These variations reflect the evolution of the English language and the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping at the time.

In the 13th century, a prominent figure named William de Woodbury was recorded as the Lord of the Manor of Woodbury in Devon. This indicates that the name was associated with a specific location and could have been adopted by those residing in or near the manor.

Another noteworthy individual with the surname WOODBURY was Sir John Woodbury, who lived in the 15th century and served as a Member of Parliament for Herefordshire in 1472. He was also appointed as a Justice of the Peace for the county.

In the 16th century, a family of WOODBURY's held land and property in the village of Woodbury, near Exeter in Devon. One member of this family, John Woodbury, was born in 1540 and served as a local magistrate and landowner.

During the 17th century, the WOODBURY name gained prominence in the American colonies. One of the earliest settlers with this surname was John Woodbury, who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1624. He later became a prominent figure in the colony and served as a magistrate and representative in the General Court.

Throughout the centuries, the WOODBURY surname has been carried by various individuals across different fields, including literature, politics, and military service. For instance, Isaac Woodbury (1784-1857) was an American poet and author, while Levi Woodbury (1789-1851) served as a United States Senator and Secretary of the Treasury under President Andrew Jackson.

These examples illustrate the rich history and origins of the surname WOODBURY, which can be traced back to medieval England and has since spread to various parts of the world, being borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woodbury

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

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 Woodbury 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 Woodbury 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 Woodbury was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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