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

Woodhead, 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 Woodhead surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woodhead in America

Woodhead is the 24554th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woodhead surname appeared 1,018 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 Woodhead.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woodhead 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 Woodhead

The surname Woodhead originates from England and can be traced back to medieval times, particularly around the 12th to 14th centuries. It is a locational surname, deriving from the Old English words "wudu" meaning wood and "hēafod" meaning head or hill, indicating someone who lived at the top or end of a wood.

The name likely emerged in regions densely forested, such as Yorkshire and Lancashire, where settlements and place names often incorporated the natural landscape. Early records suggest that it was a descriptive reference to geographical features of the land.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname appears in documents from the 13th century. A man named Johannes de Wodeheved was mentioned in the Ludlow borough records in 1272. The spelling variations during these times included Wodeheved, Woodhede, and Woodhedd, reflecting the less standardized approach to orthography in medieval script.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, while the surname itself is not directly listed, many of the locations bearing "wood" or "wode" in their names can be linked to the eventual formation of surnames like Woodhead. The transition from descriptive phrases to fixed surnames solidified by the 14th century.

Notable bearers of the surname include Richard Woodhead, registered in the Wills of Chester in 1594. Another significant individual was Samuel Woodhead, born in 1630 and known for his contributions to the civic development of his community in Yorkshire.

A historical figure worth noting is Sir William Woodhead, born in 1710, who served as a baronet and was esteemed for his scholarly pursuits in the Midlands. His legacy includes several philanthropic endeavors in education during the 18th century.

During the early 19th century, John Woodhead, born 1797, gained prominence as an industrialist during the Industrial Revolution. He was instrumental in developing early mechanical engineering techniques in Lancashire, contributing to the period’s technological advancements.

In literature, Mary Woodhead, born in 1815, made her mark as a poet and writer in the Victorian era. Her works often reflected the bucolic scenery and rural life, drawing heavily from her family’s history and the natural landscape around Woodhead settlements.

Tracing the surname Woodhead reveals the deep connection between individuals and the natural features of their homeland. Through centuries, it illustrates a link between geographical origins and personal identity, evolving with shifts in language and social structure across England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woodhead

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

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

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

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