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

Woodell, 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 Woodell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woodell in America

Woodell is the 18177th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woodell surname appeared 1,531 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Woodell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woodell 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 Woodell

The surname Woodell is believed to have originated from England, dating back to the late Middle Ages. It is a topographical surname, typically given to individuals who lived near or within a wooded valley or dell. The name combines two Old English words: "wudu," meaning wood, and "dell," meaning a small valley. Thus, Woodell essentially translates to "wooded valley."

During the Norman Conquest of 1066, surnames began to be more systematically recorded, yet Woodell does not appear in the famed Domesday Book of 1086. The name appears to have gained prominence in the 13th and 14th centuries, with records showing a gradual increase in its usage. Old manuscripts from this era occasionally reference similar surnames like Wodell, Wodel, and Woodall, suggesting slight variations in spelling due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling.

One of the earliest known records of the surname Woodell appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327, where a John de Wodell is mentioned. This reference indicates the name's early association with Suffolk, a county in East Anglia, England.

In the mid-15th century, another recorded example is William Woodell listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax records of 1379. This highlights the name's spread across different regions within England. By the 16th century, the surname appeared in various parish registers, further establishing its foothold in English society.

The surname also crossed the Atlantic with the waves of English migration to the New World. One notable example is Richard Woodell, who was recorded as a settler in the Virginia Colony in the early 17th century, specifically around 1620. His journey symbolizes the name's extension beyond English shores.

Famous individuals bearing the surname include Reverend John Woodell, a noted clergyman born in 1760 and whose religious influence was felt in both England and colonial America. Martha Woodell, born in 1825, was a renowned poet in her community and her works were published in several local publications of her time.

In the 19th century, James Woodell, born in 1847, became a prominent figure in the industrialization era of England, contributing significantly to the development of early railway systems. Another notable person is Grace Woodell, an early 20th-century suffragette born in 1881, who was actively involved in the women's rights movement during her lifetime.

Overall, Woodell is a surname with deep historical roots that traces back to England, marked by its connection to the landscape and its journey through centuries of recorded history. The variations and records of the name illustrate its geographical and temporal spread, reflecting the lives and contributions of those who bore the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woodell

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!