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

Woodie, 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 Woodie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woodie in America

Woodie is the 15284th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woodie surname appeared 1,921 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 Woodie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woodie 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 Woodie

The surname Woodie is rooted in English origin, dating back to medieval times. The name is largely thought to be a toponymic surname derived from the Old English word "wudu," meaning "wood" or "forest." This suggests that the original bearers of the surname lived near or in a wooded area. The similar surname Woody shares the same etymological roots, suggesting a common origin.

Woodie appears in historical records dating back several centuries, though not as prevalently as some other surnames. One of the earliest known references comes from 14th-century England, where a John de Wudie is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. This early form of the name underscores its connection to woodland areas.

In Scotland, the surname appears in older records as well. An important early bearer of the name was Thomas Woodie, recorded in the Scottish Poll Tax records of 1694. Scottish records often show variations such as Wuddie or Woodey due to regional dialects and the phonetic spelling system in use at the time.

Sir William Woodie, born in 1801 and dying in 1880, was a noted figure in Victorian Britain. He gained renown as an early industrialist and philanthropist in the burgeoning cotton industry of Lancashire. He was instrumental in establishing several charitable organizations aimed at improving the working conditions of factory laborers.

Another significant individual was Reverend James Woodie, born in 1825 and passing away in 1901, who played a substantial role in the Methodist movement in England and later in the United States. His contributions were particularly impactful in the realm of religious education and the establishment of several Methodist schools in the mid-19th century.

The name also appeared in the New World, with John Woodie, born in 1723 and who settled in Virginia in 1750. He became one of the early settlers and was involved in the local politics of colonial America, participating in the local militia during the French and Indian War.

An early 20th century notable figure was Alice Woodie, born in 1874 and died in 1956, a pioneering suffragette in England. She was renowned for her activism in the fight for women's rights and played a significant part in the movement that culminated in the granting of voting rights to women in 1918.

In contemporary culture, the surname Woodie often evokes a sense of nostalgia and rural life, tracing back to its origins in the English woodlands and the resolute individuals bearing the name throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woodie

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Woodie, 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!