2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Woodiel
A variant of Wood, an English surname derived from a location or referring to someone who lived near or by a wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Woodiel. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Woodiel 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.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Woodiel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Woodiel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Woodiel
The surname Woodiel likely originates from the British Isles, particularly from Scotland, in the medieval period. The name appears to be derived from the Old English words "wudu," meaning "wood," and "hyll," meaning "hill," suggesting a topographical origin, likely referring to someone who lived by a wooded hill. In Scotland, the name Woodiel would have been common in areas abundant with wooded landscapes and hills.
Recorded references to the surname Woodiel are sparse, but one of the earliest known instances can be found in the mid-15th century. The variant spelling Woodale appears in Scottish documents, indicating the same topographical origins. One of the significant early records includes a John Woodiel, mentioned in a Scottish land charter dated 1456 as a witness to a transaction in Ayrshire.
Another notable figure is Robert Woodiel, born circa 1560, who was a tenant farmer in the Scottish Lowlands. His name appears in local tax records from 1592, illustrating the presence of the name in rural Scottish communities of the time. Robert's descendants continued to live in the region, contributing to the spread of the surname in southwestern Scotland.
James Woodiel, born in 1692, was another prominent figure who emigrated from Scotland to the American colonies in the early 18th century. He settled in Pennsylvania in 1717 and played a significant role in developing early American agrarian society. His descendants continued to use variations of the name, including Woodle and Woodall, as they branched out across the colonies.
In the 19th century, Elizabeth Woodiel, born in 1823 in County Durham, England, gained some recognition for her contributions to local education. She established one of the first public schools in her village, reflecting the significance of education in rural communities of the time.
Finally, Alexander Woodiel, born in 1875 in Edinburgh, became a noted civil engineer. His work on various infrastructure projects, including bridges and railways, during the early 20th century, exemplifies the public contribution of individuals bearing the surname.
These historical figures highlight the Woodiel name's deep roots in Scottish and English heritage, its topographical significance, and its evolutionary journey across centuries and continents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Woodiel
Among Census respondents with the surname Woodiel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Woodiel 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 Woodiel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 98
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Woodiel
Woodiel 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,996 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,093 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 7,996 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 6,093 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 Woodiel 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 | #158,432 | #152,339 | 3.8% |
| Count | 102 | 106 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Woodiel bearers went from 102 to 106 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 6,093 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #152,339.
FAQ
Woodiel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Woodiel?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Woodiel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Woodiel?
Woodiel ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Woodiel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Woodiel.
Has Woodiel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Woodiel went from 102 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Woodiel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Woodiel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Woodiel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Woodiel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Black (1.9%). 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 Woodiel (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 Woodiel mean?
A variant of Wood, an English surname derived from a location or referring to someone who lived near or by 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 Woodiel (0.04 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 common is the surname Woodiel?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Woodiel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.