2000
#4,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,796
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.52
Rare Last name
Wooden
An occupational surname for a carpenter or woodworker, or someone who lived near or worked in a wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,925 Americans carry the last name Wooden. That puts it at #4,941 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 43,250 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wooden 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 Wooden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.9K
1 in 43,250
Census rank
#4,941
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,911 bearers of the surname Wooden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4941st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wooden, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.6%. The next largest groups are Black (43.5%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wooden
The surname WOODEN is of English origin, and it is derived from the Old English word "wudu," meaning "wood" or "forest." The name likely originated in the Middle Ages and referred to someone who lived near a wooded area or worked with wood, such as a forester, woodcutter, or carpenter.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the WOODEN surname dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, where a person named Roger Wodeman was mentioned in 1273. This early spelling variation, "Wodeman," further reinforces the connection between the surname and the Old English word "wudu."
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a John Wodeman was listed. Other early spellings of the name included "Wodden," "Woden," and "Wodyn," which were likely influenced by regional dialects and scribal variations.
The WOODEN surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was John Wooden (1910-2010), an American basketball player and coach who is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in sports history. He led the UCLA Bruins to an unprecedented 10 NCAA national championships during his tenure as head coach from 1948 to 1975.
Another prominent figure with the WOODEN surname was Reverend John R. Wooden (1799-1868), an American missionary and educator who established several schools and churches in the Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) in the mid-19th century.
In the literary world, the WOODEN surname gained recognition through the works of John Wooden Warter (1809-1881), an English author and journalist who wrote extensively on social and political issues of his time.
The WOODEN surname has also been associated with notable scientists and inventors. For example, William Wooden (1905-1989) was an American chemist and inventor who held over 60 patents, primarily related to the development of synthetic rubber and plastics.
Additionally, the WOODEN surname has been linked to various place names in England, such as Woodend in Gloucestershire and Woodham in Buckinghamshire, further reinforcing its connection to wooded areas and forests.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wooden
Among Census respondents with the surname Wooden, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.6%. The next largest groups are Black (43.5%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Wooden 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 Wooden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.6% · 3,288
- Black or African American43.5% · 3,009
- Two or more races5.1% · 352
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 193
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wooden
Wooden 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
#4,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,547
+751 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 2.56
Rank movement Up 66 places
2020
#4,941
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,911
-636 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 2.31
Rank movement Down 239 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,768 | 6,796 | 2.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,702 | 7,547 | 2.56 | +751 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 66 places |
| 2020 | #4,941 | 6,911 | 2.31 | -636 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 239 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 Wooden 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 | #4,702 | #4,941 | -5.1% |
| Count | 7,547 | 6,911 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.56 | 2.31 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wooden bearers went from 7,547 to 6,911 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 239 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,702 to #4,941.
FAQ
Wooden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wooden?
Name Census estimates that about 7,925 living Americans carry the surname Wooden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 43,250 residents.
How common is Wooden?
Wooden ranks #4,941 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,911 people with the surname Wooden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,925), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Wooden.
Has Wooden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wooden went from 7,547 recorded bearers to 6,911. That is a decrease of 636 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,702 to #4,941.
What does the Census say about the background of Wooden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wooden, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.6%. The next largest groups are Black (43.5%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Wooden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.6% (3,288 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wooden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.6%), Black (43.5%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Wooden (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 Wooden mean?
An occupational surname for a carpenter or woodworker, 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 Wooden (2.31 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 Wooden?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.