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

Woodrow, 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 Woodrow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woodrow in America

Woodrow is the 11543rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woodrow surname appeared 2,723 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 Woodrow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woodrow 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 Woodrow

The surname Woodrow has its origins in England, emerging in the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from places called Woodrow or Woodrowe, which were likely small hamlets or areas of woodland. The prefix "wood" comes from the Old English word "wudu," meaning forest or wood, while the suffix "row" or "rowe" may have referred to a row or line of trees or a clearing in the woods.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Woodrow appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented the landholdings and properties of Norman England. The entry mentions a place called "Wuderowe" in Wiltshire, suggesting that the name was already in use by that time.

In the 13th century, a man named William de Woderoue was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272. This early spelling variation highlights the name's locational roots and its connection to wooded areas.

During the 14th century, the Woodrow surname began to spread across England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in various counties. For example, John Wodrowe was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332, while Thomas Wodrow was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1377.

One notable bearer of the Woodrow name was the Scottish ecclesiastical historian and minister Robert Woodrow (1679-1734). He was born in Paisley and authored several works on church history and theology, including "An Impartial History of the Church and State of Scotland."

In the 19th century, the Woodrow family produced another prominent figure, Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), the 28th President of the United States. Born Thomas Woodrow Wilson in Staunton, Virginia, he served as president from 1913 to 1921 and was influential in shaping American foreign policy during and after World War I.

Other historically significant individuals with the surname Woodrow include James Woodrow (1828-1907), a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and theologian who played a role in the development of Southern Presbyterian theology, and Thomas Woodrow (1854-1937), a Scottish footballer who played for several clubs in the late 19th century, including Rangers and Burnley.

While the Woodrow name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and the descendants of those who bore the name in earlier centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woodrow

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

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

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

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