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

Woodyard, 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 Woodyard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woodyard in America

Woodyard is the 10572nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woodyard surname appeared 3,032 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 Woodyard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woodyard 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 Woodyard

The surname WOODYARD is believed to have originated in England, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is a locational name, derived from the Old English words "wudu" meaning wood and "geard" meaning yard or enclosure, referring to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area or a yard surrounded by trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name WOODYARD can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated around 1230, where a certain Robert de Woodyard is mentioned as a landowner. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the northern counties of England by the 13th century.

The WOODYARD surname is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1327, which lists a John Woodyard among the taxpayers of the county. This indicates the name's presence in the West Midlands region during the early 14th century.

In the Domesday Book, a prestigious survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are no direct references to the surname WOODYARD. However, the book does mention several places with similar names, such as Woodgarston in Berkshire and Woodgarth in Yorkshire, suggesting the existence of these locational names at the time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname WOODYARD was William Woodyard, who was born in Cheshire, England, around 1520. He is mentioned in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Chester, where he served as a church warden in the mid-16th century.

Another notable WOODYARD was John Woodyard, a merchant and alderman who lived in the city of Bristol in the late 16th century. He is recorded as having been involved in the city's thriving trade with the American colonies.

In the 17th century, the WOODYARD surname can be found in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where a family of that name settled in the town of Ipswich. Thomas Woodyard, born around 1620 in England, was one of the earliest settlers with this surname in the American colonies.

A prominent figure from the 18th century was Edward Woodyard, a successful businessman and landowner from Yorkshire, England. Born in 1725, he is known for his philanthropic efforts, including the establishment of a school for underprivileged children in his hometown.

Moving into the 19th century, we find the WOODYARD surname associated with the arts. Emily Woodyard, born in 1845 in Gloucestershire, England, was a celebrated painter and illustrator during the Victorian era, known for her exquisite watercolor landscapes and botanical studies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woodyard

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

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

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

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