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

Woodby, 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 Woodby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woodby in America

Woodby is the 21686th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woodby surname appeared 1,201 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 Woodby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woodby 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 Woodby

The surname Woodby likely has its origins in England, dating back to medieval times. The name appears to be locational, deriving from a specific place or geographic feature, possibly related to woodlands. The likely etymology combines "wood," which refers to a forest or wooded area, and "by," an Old Norse term meaning "settlement" or "farm." This suggests that the original bearers of the name were associated with or lived near a woodland settlement.

The earliest records of surnames in England can be traced to the 11th century with the completion of the Domesday Book in 1086. Although the exact surname Woodby does not appear in this manuscript, similar names such as "de Wood" or "atte Wode," referencing those living near or in a wood, appear and indicate a precedent for surnames derived from forested areas. Over time, with the influence of Norse language due to Viking settlements, it’s plausible that the suffix "by" was appended, forming Woodby.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Woodby can be traced back to the 13th century. William de Woodby, born around 1230 and mentioned in local records from Sussex in the late 1240s, is one of the oldest known individuals bearing this surname. His name hints at residency in or governance over a woodland settlment.

In the 15th century, the name appears in more northern counties, possibly due to migration or resettlement. Thomas Woodby, born in 1415, held land in Yorkshire, demonstrating that the surname was present across various regions of England by this period. Historical land records and wills from this era document Thomas's involvement in agricultural and local governance dealings.

Moving into the 16th century, another notable individual, Agnes Woodby, born in 1528, is referenced in parish registers from Lancashire. Her marriage to a merchant in 1549 brought the Woodby name into the burgeoning middle class, as recorded in church documents.

By the 18th century, instances of the surname Woodby appear in colonial records, notably in Virginia, United States, marking the transatlantic movement of many English surnames. An example is James Woodby, born in 1692, who emigrated to the American colonies and became a landowner and farmer. His life and family are documented in early colonial census records and land grants.

In literature, one example is Elizabeth Woodby, an educator born in 1764 in London, who wrote several pamphlets on women's education during her lifetime and contributed to the burgeoning discourse on educational reform in the late 18th century. Her works, published in 1792, reflect the societal changes and the growing prominence of women in intellectual circles during this period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woodby

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

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

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

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