NameCensus.

UK surname

Woodall

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near or in a wood or forest.

In the 1881 census there were 2,404 people recorded with the Woodall surname, ranking it #1,852 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,579, ranked #1,894, down from #1,852 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Rowley Regis and Dudley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley and South Staffordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woodall is 3,868 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.9%.

1881 census count

2,404

Ranked #1,852

Modern count

3,579

2016, ranked #1,894

Peak year

1999

3,868 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woodall had 2,404 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,852 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,579 in 2016, ranked #1,894.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,576 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Woodall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woodall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Woodall 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 1,645 #1,749
1861 historical 1,508 #1,872
1881 historical 2,404 #1,852
1891 historical 2,547 #1,867
1901 historical 3,098 #1,807
1911 historical 3,576 #1,459
1997 modern 3,648 #1,777
1998 modern 3,838 #1,761
1999 modern 3,868 #1,760
2000 modern 3,806 #1,778
2001 modern 3,716 #1,775
2002 modern 3,862 #1,755
2003 modern 3,729 #1,774
2004 modern 3,700 #1,784
2005 modern 3,624 #1,801
2006 modern 3,578 #1,825
2007 modern 3,633 #1,809
2008 modern 3,609 #1,839
2009 modern 3,706 #1,831
2010 modern 3,790 #1,838
2011 modern 3,789 #1,811
2012 modern 3,657 #1,843
2013 modern 3,706 #1,850
2014 modern 3,693 #1,867
2015 modern 3,627 #1,876
2016 modern 3,579 #1,894

Geography

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Where Woodalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Rowley Regis, Dudley, Manchester and Scarborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley and South Staffordshire. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
3 Dudley Staffordshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Scarborough Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 013 Dudley
2 Dudley 033 Dudley
3 South Staffordshire 012 South Staffordshire
4 South Staffordshire 013 South Staffordshire
5 Dudley 006 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Woodall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Woodall

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Woodall, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Woodall surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Woodall household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Woodall 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

Woodall is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Woodall 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 Woodall is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Woodall

The surname Woodall is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words 'wudu' meaning wood and 'halh' meaning a nook or remote valley, thus referring to someone who lived near a wooded valley or remote woodland area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Woodall can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as 'Wudehale' in records from Berkshire.

The name Woodall has several variations in spelling throughout history, including Woodhall, Woodal, Wudall, and Wudehale. These variations often reflect regional dialects and the evolution of language over time. Some of the earliest recorded bearers of the name include Robert de Wudehale, who was documented in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, and William de Wodehale, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1273.

One notable bearer of the Woodall surname was Sir John Woodall, a surgeon and author born in 1556. He served as the surgeon-general to the East India Company and is credited with introducing various medical innovations, including the use of bark from the willow tree as a treatment for fever. He published a book titled "The Surgeon's Mate" in 1617, which became a standard reference work for naval surgeons.

Another historical figure with the Woodall surname was William Woodall, a prominent English merchant and member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers in the 16th century. He played a significant role in the development of trade relations between England and the Baltic region.

In the 18th century, Edward Woodall (1737-1819) was a notable English artist known for his landscape paintings and etchings. He was a member of the Royal Academy and his works are held in collections at institutions such as the Tate Gallery and the British Museum.

During the 19th century, Robert Woodall (1821-1879) was a British physician and advocate for public health reforms. He campaigned for the improvement of sanitary conditions in urban areas and contributed to the development of modern public health practices.

The name Woodall is also associated with several place names in England, such as Woodall in Lincolnshire and Woodall Spa in Nottinghamshire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Woodall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woodall 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. Yorkshire leads with 518 Woodalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.22x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 518 2.22x
Worcestershire 411 13.39x
Lancashire 346 1.24x
Staffordshire 295 3.72x
Cheshire 218 4.20x
Middlesex 134 0.57x
Warwickshire 88 1.48x
Surrey 72 0.63x
Derbyshire 48 1.30x
Durham 47 0.67x
Shropshire 31 1.53x
Lincolnshire 24 0.64x
Sussex 22 0.56x
Somerset 21 0.56x
Cumberland 14 0.69x
Denbighshire 10 1.13x
Glamorgan 10 0.24x
Herefordshire 8 0.83x
Kent 8 0.10x
Oxfordshire 8 0.55x
Monmouthshire 7 0.41x
Norfolk 7 0.19x
Northamptonshire 6 0.27x
Northumberland 6 0.17x
Anglesey 5 1.20x
Bedfordshire 5 0.41x
Hampshire 5 0.10x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.27x
Essex 4 0.09x
Gloucestershire 4 0.09x
Isle of Man 4 0.92x
Devon 3 0.06x
Lanarkshire 3 0.04x
Rutland 3 1.74x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.09x
Leicestershire 2 0.08x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.11x
Flintshire 1 0.16x
Inverness-shire 1 0.14x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.03x
Royal Navy 1 0.36x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dudley in Worcestershire leads with 345 Woodalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 92.48x.

Place Total Index
Dudley 345 92.48x
Rowley Regis 124 56.09x
Birmingham 50 2.53x
Sedgley 37 12.56x
Scarborough 36 17.01x
Sculcoates 31 8.40x
Aston 29 1.78x
Ardwick 26 10.34x
Stockport 26 9.74x
Seamer In Scarborough 25 332.89x
Chorlton On Medlock 24 5.42x
Leeds 24 1.83x
Baguley 23 388.51x
Burslem 22 9.68x
Barrow In Furness 21 5.54x
Walsall Foreign 21 5.13x
Gradley 20 134.86x
Brotherton 19 203.64x
Holy Trinity 19 3.39x
Barlby 18 435.84x
Dukinfield 16 6.68x
Oldbury 16 10.60x
Barton Upon Irwell 15 7.15x
Heaton Norris 15 9.45x
Hulme 15 2.58x
Newton 15 6.98x
Wistow 15 242.33x
Croydon 14 2.20x
Lambeth 14 0.68x
Sale 14 22.00x
Tipton 14 5.76x
West Bromwich 14 3.08x
Broughton In Salford 13 5.10x
Falsgrave 13 37.88x
Hampstead London 13 3.55x
Kingswinford 13 4.51x
Manchester 13 1.04x
Willerby In Scarborough 13 388.06x
Bollin Fee 12 52.15x
Melbourne 12 47.71x
Penge 12 7.99x
St Pancras London 12 0.63x
Timperley 12 66.56x
Hackney London 11 0.83x
Liverpool 11 0.65x
Northen Etchells 11 180.92x
Paddington London 11 1.27x
Romsley 11 329.34x
St Marylebone London 11 0.88x
Toxteth Park 11 1.17x
West Derby 11 1.35x
Aberdare 10 3.56x
Disley Stanley 10 37.44x
Moulton 10 209.21x
Salford 10 1.22x
Selby 10 20.55x
Shoreditch London 10 0.98x
Twerton 10 25.63x
Wetherby 10 65.92x
York St Giles In 10 45.56x
York St Mary 10 10.37x
Ashton Under Lyne 9 1.48x
Camblesforth 9 400.00x
Carlton In Selby 9 149.75x
Denton 9 14.57x
East Heslerton 9 367.35x
Lund 9 243.24x
Romiley 9 61.52x
Wednesfield 9 7.71x
Withington 9 10.02x
Banbury 8 27.53x
Clerkenwell London 8 1.44x
Ealing 8 3.81x
Eardisland 8 127.39x
Hunslet 8 2.20x
New Village 8 114.61x
Stainforth In Thorne 8 134.91x
Taunton St Mary 8 11.52x
Waberthwaite 8 512.82x
Wednesbury 8 4.04x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 174
John 153
Thomas 85
James 83
Joseph 74
George 71
Samuel 52
Charles 39
Robert 36
Edward 29
Arthur 24
Alfred 19
Frederick 19
Henry 19
Albert 14
Harry 14
Benjamin 13
Richard 12
Walter 11
Herbert 10
Frank 9
Thos. 9
Wm. 9
David 8
Isaac 8
Ernest 7
Edwin 6
Fred 6
Philip 6
Tom 5
Fredk. 4
Job 4
Mathew 4
Robt. 4
Titus 4
Francis 3
Geo. 3
Harold 3
Hugh 3
Jonathan 3
Matthew 3
Saml. 3
Solomon 3
Corbet 2
Daniel 2
Ephraim 2
Paul 2
Peter 2
Reuben 2
Roland 2

FAQ

Woodall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woodall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,404 people were recorded with the Woodall surname. That placed it at #1,852 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woodall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,579 in 2016. That gives Woodall a modern rank of #1,894.

What does the Woodall surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near or in a wood or forest.

What does the Woodall map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Woodall 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.