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

Woodring, 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 Woodring surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woodring in America

Woodring is the 6542nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woodring surname appeared 5,176 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 Woodring.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woodring 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 Woodring

The surname "Woodring" is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "wudu" meaning "wood" and "hring" meaning "ring" or "circle." It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, likely referring to someone who lived near a circular woodland area or a clearing in the forest.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appeared as "Woderinges." This suggests that the name may have originated in the Oxfordshire region of England.

During the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Wodering," "Woderyng," and "Woderingg," reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping at the time. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and scribal interpretations.

In the 16th century, the name "Woodring" began to take its modern form, appearing in records from Essex, Berkshire, and Wiltshire. Notably, the Visitation of Berkshire in 1566 mentions a family by the name of Woodring residing in the area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of a person with the surname "Woodring" was John Woodring, who was born in Wiltshire, England, in 1548. He was a prominent landowner and is mentioned in several historical records from the late 16th century.

Another notable figure was William Woodring, born in 1614 in Essex, England. He was a merchant and served as a councilman in the town of Colchester during the mid-17th century.

In the 18th century, the name "Woodring" gained prominence in the United States, with several individuals bearing the surname arriving as immigrants from England. One such individual was Thomas Woodring, born in 1726 in Yorkshire, England, who later settled in Pennsylvania.

Samuel Woodring, born in 1789 in Virginia, was a soldier who fought in the War of 1812 and is mentioned in military records from that time period.

Perhaps one of the most well-known individuals with the surname "Woodring" was William Woodring, born in 1879 in Ohio. He was a prominent American politician who served as the United States Secretary of War under President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1936 to 1940.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woodring

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

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

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

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