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

Woolridge, 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 Woolridge surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woolridge in America

Woolridge is the 10835th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woolridge surname appeared 2,939 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 Woolridge.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woolridge 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 Woolridge

The surname Woolridge is of English origin, and it first appeared in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "wull" meaning wool, and "ridge" referring to a ridge or hill, indicating that the name likely originated from a place where wool was produced or traded near a ridge or hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1208, where it is spelled as "Wullerige." This suggests that the name was initially concentrated in the West Midlands region of England.

The surname Woolridge is also associated with various place names across England, such as Woolridge in Wiltshire and Woolridge Green in Gloucestershire. These locations may have played a role in the formation and spread of the surname.

In the 13th century, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mention a John de Wullerugg from Oxfordshire, indicating the name's presence in that area during that time period.

One notable bearer of the Woolridge surname was Sir Robert Woolridge (1536-1594), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Westbury in Wiltshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another historical figure with this surname was John Woolridge (1665-1743), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Pophill in Wiltshire and wrote several religious works.

In the 17th century, the surname Woolridge appeared in various records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1665-1666, where it is spelled as "Wooleredge" and "Wooleridge," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era.

Thomas Woolridge (1766-1839) was an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Piccadilly Terrace and parts of Regent's Park.

William Woolridge (1795-1879) was a British colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant Governor of the British Virgin Islands from 1852 to 1856, and later as the Governor of the Falkland Islands from 1857 to 1864.

The surname Woolridge has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to immigration from England. However, its origins can be traced back to the wool-producing regions of England, particularly in the West Midlands and surrounding areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woolridge

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

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

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

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