2000
#34,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 623
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Woodlee
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning 'wood meadow'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 786 Americans carry the last name Woodlee. That puts it at #35,388 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 436,074 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Woodlee 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
786
1 in 436,074
Census rank
#35,388
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
685
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 685 bearers of the surname Woodlee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35388th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Woodlee, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Woodlee
The surname Woodlee is believed to have originated in England, specifically in regions known for their dense forests and woodlands. The name likely emerged during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old English words "wudu," meaning wood, and "leah," meaning a clearing, meadow, or pasture. The combination suggests a location near a wooded clearing or meadow, typical of rural English landscapes.
Historical records indicate that the surname Woodlee might have roots in the regions of Yorkshire and Lancashire, areas known for their historical forests and rural landscapes. The name may have been used to describe someone who lived by or worked in such a wooded clearing. The surname Woodlee appears in various forms in medieval manuscripts, though instances are relatively rare due to the lesser prominence of the name compared to more common English surnames.
The earliest recorded example of the surname Woodlee appears in parish records from the mid-1500s. In 1541, a Richard Woodlee is mentioned in the Yorkshire tax rolls, highlighting the name's presence in northern England. By the 17th century, the name appears with more frequency, likely due to population growth and improved record-keeping practices.
In the 1600s, John Woodlee, born in 1625 in Lancashire, was noted as a yeoman farmer, a term used for a landowner who worked his own land, indicating the family’s modest but stable economic status. Thomas Woodlee, born in 1678, was recorded in the court rolls of Lancashire for being involved in local disputes over land boundaries, a common issue of the time.
The 18th century saw the Woodlee surname spreading to other parts of England, with William Woodlee, born in 1712, serving as a parish clerk in Cornwall. He is documented in church records for maintaining detailed accounts of births, marriages, and deaths in the local parish, evidencing the administrative role held by some family members.
George Woodlee, born in 1750 in Yorkshire, is another significant figure. He became known locally for his contributions to early agricultural practices, notably the introduction of crop rotation methods that enhanced local yields. His efforts were noted in local agricultural journals of the time, reflecting the innovative spirit within the Woodlee family.
The name found its way across the Atlantic by the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Among the early settlers was James Woodlee, born in 1790, who emigrated to the American colonies and settled in Virginia. His descendants played roles in local community development, often noted in local historical accounts of the area.
In summary, the surname Woodlee encapsulates a vivid history tied to the wooded regions of England and reflects the evolution from medieval times to the early modern era. From modest beginnings tied to rural occupations and land ownership, members of the Woodlee family have maintained their presence and contributed to historical records over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Woodlee
Among Census respondents with the surname Woodlee, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Woodlee 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 Woodlee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 602
- Two or more races5.1% · 35
- Black or African American3.5% · 24
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Woodlee
Woodlee 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
#37,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 598
-25 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 2,889 places
2020
#35,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 685
+87 bearers (+14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Up 1,900 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,399 | 623 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #37,288 | 598 | 0.20 | -25 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 2,889 places |
| 2020 | #35,388 | 685 | 0.23 | +87 bearers (+14.5%) | Up 1,900 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 Woodlee 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 | #37,288 | #35,388 | 5.1% |
| Count | 598 | 685 | 14.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.20 | 0.23 | 14.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Woodlee bearers went from 598 to 685 (+14.5% change). The surname moved up 1,900 positions in the national ranking, going from #37,288 to #35,388.
FAQ
Woodlee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Woodlee?
Name Census estimates that about 786 living Americans carry the surname Woodlee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 436,074 residents.
How common is Woodlee?
Woodlee ranks #35,388 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 685 people with the surname Woodlee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (786), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Woodlee.
Has Woodlee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Woodlee went from 598 recorded bearers to 685. That is an increase of 87 (+14.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #37,288 to #35,388.
What does the Census say about the background of Woodlee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Woodlee, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (3.5%). 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 Woodlee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (602 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Woodlee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Black (3.5%). 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 Woodlee (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 Woodlee mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning 'wood meadow'. 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 Woodlee (0.23 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 have the last name Woodlee?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Woodlee, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.