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

Woodruff, 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 Woodruff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woodruff in America

Woodruff is the 1341st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woodruff surname appeared 26,286 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Woodruff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woodruff 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 Woodruff

The surname Woodruff is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "wudu" meaning wood and "hryffe" meaning rough or overgrown with bushes. It was initially an occupational name for someone who lived near or worked in a densely wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176, where it is spelled "Wuderove". The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, also mentions several places with names containing the element "wudu", suggesting the name's antiquity.

During the Middle Ages, the name was found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. In the 13th century, records show a Gilbert Woderoue residing in Cheshire, while a Richard Woderove was documented in Yorkshire in 1273.

Notable individuals with the surname Woodruff include John Woodruff (c. 1570-1637), an English clergyman and author, and Samuel Woodruff (1636-1683), one of the founders of the town of Southold, New York. In more recent times, there was Harry Woodruff (1887-1952), an American actor, and Ann Woodruff (1923-2014), an American actress known for her roles in several Broadway productions.

Another prominent figure was William Woodruff (1916-2008), an American historian and author who wrote extensively on the American West and the Indian Wars. He is particularly renowned for his book "Revolt Against the Modern World" (1958), which explored the lives of several Native American leaders.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America dates back to the 17th century, when a family of Woodruffs settled in Hartford, Connecticut. Over time, the name spread to various parts of the United States, with concentrations found in states like New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woodruff

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

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

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

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