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

Woodley, 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 Woodley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woodley in America

Woodley is the 5026th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woodley surname appeared 6,982 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Woodley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woodley 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 Woodley

The surname Woodley originated in England and can be traced back to the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a locational name derived from any of the several places called Woodley, which are found across different counties in England, such as Berkshire, Cheshire, and Wiltshire. The name is derived from the Old English words "wudu" meaning "wood" and "leah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow," thus indicating a person who lived near a woodland clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Woodley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of lands and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Wudelei" and "Wudelegh" in various entries, referring to places with the same name.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Wodelegh," "Wodelye," and "Wudeley" in historical records and documents. One notable person with this surname was William de Woodley, who was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Berkshire in 1275.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Woodley became more widespread across England, with several notable individuals bearing this name. One such person was Sir Robert Woodley (1567-1641), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Heytesbury in Wiltshire.

Another prominent figure was Richard Woodley (1591-1653), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Wilts from 1629 until his death.

In the 18th century, the name gained further recognition with individuals like Edward Woodley (1741-1810), an English landscape painter known for his pastoral scenes and landscapes.

In the 19th century, one of the most notable figures with the surname Woodley was William Woodley (1825-1903), an English geologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossil mollusks.

Throughout history, the surname Woodley has been associated with various professions and fields, from politics and religion to art and science, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woodley

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

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

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

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