NameCensus.

UK surname

Woodacre

In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Woodacre surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 144, ranked #24,390, down from #20,467 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Preston, Glossop and Blackburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include High Peak, St. Helens and Blackpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woodacre is 155 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.2%.

1881 census count

94

Ranked #20,467

Modern count

144

2016, ranked #24,390

Peak year

2010

155 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woodacre had 94 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,467 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 144 in 2016, ranked #24,390.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 154 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Woodacre surname distribution map

The map shows where the Woodacre surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Woodacre surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Woodacre over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 81 #19,457
1861 historical 88 #22,554
1881 historical 94 #20,467
1891 historical 100 #24,045
1901 historical 121 #20,444
1911 historical 154 #17,553
1997 modern 148 #21,295
1998 modern 148 #21,841
1999 modern 146 #22,202
2000 modern 153 #21,520
2001 modern 149 #21,568
2002 modern 149 #22,001
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 141 #22,689
2005 modern 141 #22,688
2006 modern 147 #22,221
2007 modern 150 #22,212
2008 modern 145 #22,929
2009 modern 151 #22,816
2010 modern 155 #22,985
2011 modern 149 #23,408
2012 modern 144 #23,902
2013 modern 149 #23,765
2014 modern 147 #24,177
2015 modern 142 #24,617
2016 modern 144 #24,390

Geography

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Where Woodacres are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Preston, Glossop, Blackburn and Ribchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to High Peak, St. Helens and Blackpool. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Preston Lancashire
2 Glossop Derbyshire
3 Blackburn Lancashire
4 Ribchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 High Peak 003 High Peak
2 St. Helens 015 St. Helens
3 St. Helens 011 St. Helens
4 St. Helens 017 St. Helens
5 Blackpool 017 Blackpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Woodacre

These lists show first names that appear often with the Woodacre surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Woodacre

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Woodacre, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Woodacre surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Woodacre household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Woodacre is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Woodacre is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Woodacre falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Woodacre is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Woodacre, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Woodacre families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woodacre surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 84 Woodacres recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.72x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 84 7.72x
Derbyshire 9 6.27x
Yorkshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 41 Woodacres recorded in 1881 and an index of 141.67x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 41 141.67x
Preston 14 48.11x
Glossop Dale 9 133.93x
Ribchester 9 2195.12x
Witton 7 510.95x
Livesey 6 314.14x
Sutton 2 54.79x
Brightside Bierlow 1 5.61x
Little Bolton 1 7.15x
Manchester 1 2.04x
Penwortham 1 192.31x
Walton Le Dale 1 34.25x
Warrington 1 7.75x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Woodacre surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 11
Mary 11
Sarah 5
Jane 4
Ellen 3
Hannah 3
Margaret 3
Ann 2
Alice 1
Eliza 1
Martha 1
Rose 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Woodacre surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 12
William 6
Joseph 4
Thomas 4
Henry 3
James 3
Richard 2
Wm. 2
Benjimen 1
Christopher 1
David 1
Doctor 1
Edward 1
Enoch 1
Frederick 1
Nathaniel 1
Ralph 1
Richd 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Woodacre surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woodacre surname in 1881?

In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Woodacre surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woodacre surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 144 in 2016. That gives Woodacre a modern rank of #24,390.

What does the Woodacre map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Woodacre bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.