2000
#6,078
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,205
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.93
Rare Last name
Woolard
An English occupational surname referring to a wool inspector, trader, or herdsman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,536 Americans carry the last name Woolard. That puts it at #6,716 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Woolard surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Woolard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 61,914
Census rank
#6,716
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,828 bearers of the surname Woolard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6716th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Woolard, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Woolard
The surname Woolard is of English origin, with roots that can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated in the county of Dorset, where it was derived from the Old English words "wulf" meaning wolf and "geard" meaning yard or enclosure, suggesting a connection to a homestead or farm associated with wolves.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1190, where a Richard Wulvard is mentioned. This variation in spelling highlights the fluid nature of surnames during the medieval period, as they were often adapted based on local dialects and pronunciations.
In the 13th century, the Woolard name appeared in various records across southern England, particularly in the counties of Somerset and Dorset. One notable entry is from the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1243, which mentions a Henry Wolvard as a landholder.
The Woolard surname gained prominence in the 14th century, with several individuals bearing the name appearing in historical records. John Woolard, born around 1320 in Dorset, was a prominent landowner and served as a member of the local gentry. Another notable figure was William Woolard, born in Somerset in 1375, who held the position of bailiff in the nearby town of Yeovil.
As the centuries progressed, the Woolard name spread across England, with various spellings emerging, such as Wollard, Woollard, and Wulward. One remarkable individual from this period was Sir Thomas Woolard (1545-1612), a notable military commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I during the Anglo-Spanish War.
In the 17th century, the Woolard surname found its way across the Atlantic, with members of the family settling in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Woolard, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and established a successful plantation in the Tidewater region.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, several notable individuals bearing the Woolard surname emerged. These include Thomas Woolard (1732-1810), a prominent merchant and landowner in North Carolina, and William Woolard (1795-1874), a pioneer and influential figure in the settlement of Indiana.
While the Woolard surname has undergone various changes in spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the rural landscapes of southern England, where it was closely associated with the imagery of wolves and their enclosures or homesteads.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Woolard
Among Census respondents with the surname Woolard, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Woolard bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Woolard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 4,049
- Black or African American8.5% · 410
- Two or more races3.3% · 161
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 148
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Woolard
Woolard appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,417
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,296
+91 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.80
Rank movement Down 339 places
2020
#6,716
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,828
-468 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 299 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,078 | 5,205 | 1.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,417 | 5,296 | 1.80 | +91 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 339 places |
| 2020 | #6,716 | 4,828 | 1.62 | -468 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 299 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Woolard surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,417 | #6,716 | -4.7% |
| Count | 5,296 | 4,828 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.80 | 1.62 | -10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Woolard bearers went from 5,296 to 4,828 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 299 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,417 to #6,716.
FAQ
Woolard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Woolard?
Name Census estimates that about 5,536 living Americans carry the surname Woolard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 61,914 residents.
How common is Woolard?
Woolard ranks #6,716 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,828 people with the surname Woolard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,536), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Woolard.
Has Woolard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Woolard went from 5,296 recorded bearers to 4,828. That is a decrease of 468 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,417 to #6,716.
What does the Census say about the background of Woolard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Woolard, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Woolard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (4,049 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Woolard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Black (8.5%), Two or More Races (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Woolard (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Woolard mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a wool inspector, trader, or herdsman. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Woolard (1.62 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Woolard?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.