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

Woody, 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 Woody surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woody in America

Woody is the 1960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woody surname appeared 18,434 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Woody.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woody 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 Woody

The surname "WOODY" is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name for someone who lived near a wood or forest. The name is derived from the Old English word "wudu," meaning "wood" or "forest."

During the medieval period, many surnames were derived from the physical features of the landscape or the location where a person lived. The name "WOODY" likely emerged as a descriptive surname for individuals residing in or near wooded areas.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1297, where a John del Wode (meaning "of the wood") is listed. This early spelling variation highlights the connection between the surname and the Old English word "wudu."

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "atte Wode" and "de la Wode," indicating the place of residence or origin of the person bearing the name. These variations eventually evolved into the modern spelling of "WOODY."

Historically, the surname "WOODY" has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded figures was Sir John Woodye (c. 1390-1451), a member of the English gentry and a supporter of the House of Lancaster during the Wars of the Roses.

Another prominent figure was William Wodeye (c. 1445-1517), an English merchant and alderman of the City of London, who served as Lord Mayor in 1492.

In the 16th century, the name was associated with John Wode (c. 1520-1584), a English playwright and author known for his work "The Conflict of Conscience."

Moving forward, James Woody (1784-1857) was a Scottish-born American educator and author who founded the Woody Prize, an annual award for excellence in teaching.

Additionally, Robert Woody (1868-1938) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States Representative from Delaware in the early 20th century.

Throughout history, the surname "WOODY" has been linked to various places and locations, often deriving from nearby woods or forests. For example, the village of Woodyton in Shropshire, England, is believed to have been named after someone with the surname "WOODY" who lived there in the medieval period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woody

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!