NameCensus.

UK surname

Woodburn

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

In the 1881 census there were 950 people recorded with the Woodburn surname, ranking it #4,069 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,341, ranked #4,497, down from #4,069 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Millom, Muncaster, Dalton-in-Furness and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, South Lakeland and Barrow-in-Furness.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woodburn is 1,393 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.2%.

1881 census count

950

Ranked #4,069

Modern count

1,341

2016, ranked #4,497

Peak year

2010

1,393 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woodburn had 950 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,069 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,341 in 2016, ranked #4,497.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,144 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Woodburn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woodburn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Woodburn 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 643 #4,042
1861 historical 693 #3,894
1881 historical 950 #4,069
1891 historical 1,067 #3,939
1901 historical 1,144 #4,249
1911 historical 892 #4,994
1997 modern 1,378 #4,190
1998 modern 1,390 #4,302
1999 modern 1,371 #4,388
2000 modern 1,367 #4,377
2001 modern 1,322 #4,426
2002 modern 1,344 #4,455
2003 modern 1,319 #4,430
2004 modern 1,320 #4,424
2005 modern 1,307 #4,412
2006 modern 1,313 #4,410
2007 modern 1,325 #4,409
2008 modern 1,348 #4,381
2009 modern 1,342 #4,483
2010 modern 1,393 #4,416
2011 modern 1,359 #4,468
2012 modern 1,313 #4,530
2013 modern 1,336 #4,540
2014 modern 1,351 #4,522
2015 modern 1,333 #4,530
2016 modern 1,341 #4,497

Geography

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Where Woodburns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Millom, Muncaster, Dalton-in-Furness, Glasgow, Preston and Kilmarnock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, South Lakeland and Barrow-in-Furness. 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 Millom, Muncaster Cumberland
2 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Kilmarnock Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 008 Copeland
2 South Lakeland 012 South Lakeland
3 Copeland 006 Copeland
4 South Lakeland 014 South Lakeland
5 Barrow-in-Furness 005 Barrow-in-Furness

Forenames

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First names often paired with Woodburn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Woodburn

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Woodburn 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

Woodburn is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Woodburn 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 Woodburn 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 Woodburn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Woodburn

The surname Woodburn originated in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "wudu" meaning wood and "burna" meaning stream, referring to someone who lived near a stream running through a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Woodburn name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a place called "Wodeburne" in Wiltshire. This suggests that the name was already established by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the Woodburn surname appeared in various records and documents such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a Robert de Wodeburn in Oxfordshire. The name also appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, referring to a Thomas de Wodeburn.

During the 16th century, the Woodburn family had a presence in Northumberland, England. One notable member was John Woodburn (c. 1540-1610), who served as a Member of Parliament for Morpeth in 1589.

In the 17th century, the Woodburn surname spread to other parts of England and Scotland. William Woodburn (1638-1701) was a Scottish minister and author who wrote several religious texts.

In the 18th century, the Woodburn name gained prominence in the arts. Samuel Woodburn (1765-1826) was an English engraver and print seller who published works by renowned artists such as J.M.W. Turner and Thomas Girtin.

In the 19th century, Sir William Woodbine Parish (1796-1858) was a notable English diplomat and traveler who served as a British Charge d'Affaires in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Throughout history, the Woodburn surname has been associated with various locations, including Woodburn in Midlothian, Scotland, and Woodburn Village in West Virginia, United States, which were likely named after individuals bearing this surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Woodburn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woodburn 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 393 Woodburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.58x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 393 3.58x
Ayrshire 134 19.34x
Cumberland 102 12.80x
Lanarkshire 86 2.87x
Westmorland 52 25.56x
Yorkshire 31 0.34x
Midlothian 23 1.85x
Leicestershire 15 1.46x
Middlesex 14 0.15x
Somerset 14 0.94x
Cheshire 12 0.59x
Buteshire 8 14.26x
Dunbartonshire 7 2.81x
Renfrewshire 7 0.98x
Kent 6 0.19x
Monmouthshire 6 0.90x
Hampshire 5 0.26x
Staffordshire 5 0.16x
Glamorgan 4 0.25x
Surrey 4 0.09x
Sussex 4 0.26x
Warwickshire 4 0.17x
Perthshire 3 0.72x
Cornwall 2 0.19x
Northumberland 2 0.15x
Argyllshire 1 0.39x
Denbighshire 1 0.29x
Derbyshire 1 0.07x
Durham 1 0.04x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.08x
Royal Navy 1 0.91x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kilmarnock in Ayrshire leads with 45 Woodburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.57x.

Place Total Index
Kilmarnock 45 54.57x
Preston 37 12.59x
Ulverston 37 115.63x
Dalton In Furness 33 77.83x
Millom 33 135.08x
Colton 31 541.01x
Barony 30 3.96x
Barrow In Furness 29 19.41x
Kendal 26 69.82x
Egremont 23 121.05x
Liverpool 23 3.45x
Loudoun 22 132.05x
Muirkirk 22 135.22x
Over Darwen 22 25.07x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 20 4.01x
Little Bolton 20 14.16x
Glasgow 17 3.20x
Ambleside 16 253.57x
Cleator 14 42.21x
Pennington In Ulverston 14 256.41x
Govan 12 1.62x
Lancaster 12 18.36x
Toxteth Park 12 3.23x
Galston 11 58.05x
West Derby 11 3.42x
Everton 10 2.86x
Ovenden 10 24.49x
Stoke Newington London 9 12.48x
Halliwell 8 20.01x
Lower Booths 8 40.65x
Lower Darwen 8 55.48x
Rothesay 8 29.46x
Upper Allithwaite E 8 449.44x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 8 66.67x
Glassford 7 151.84x
Partington 7 503.60x
Parton 7 148.94x
Penrith 7 23.78x
Wetherby 7 117.06x
Ayr 6 18.35x
Blackburn 6 2.05x
Claife 6 342.86x
Dalserf 6 20.08x
Haslingden 6 13.19x
Higham On The Hill 6 419.58x
Monkton Prestwick 6 89.02x
Ochiltree 6 125.79x
St Woollos 6 8.03x
Undermilbeck 6 89.42x
Wells St Cuthbert In 6 263.16x
Withnell 6 89.02x
Chatham 5 5.75x
Ellel 5 88.18x
Holy Trinity 5 2.27x
Houston Killallan 5 72.05x
Lower Allithwaite 5 190.11x
Mauchline 5 62.81x
Alrewas 4 132.01x
Arlecdon 4 18.87x
Brighton 4 1.27x
Dundonald 4 15.66x
Liscard 4 10.86x
Lutterworth 4 63.90x
Maryhill 4 6.82x
Petersfield 4 76.63x
Rutherglen 4 9.11x
Wellesbourne Hastings 4 181.00x
West Broughton 4 107.82x
Whitchurch 4 45.87x
Cheetham 3 3.66x
Kinnoull 3 27.47x
Lambeth 3 0.37x
Leicester St Margaret 3 1.20x
Lower Holker 3 142.86x
Moresby 3 98.68x
Oswaldtwistle 3 7.73x
Row 3 9.32x
South Leith 3 2.15x
Upper Holker 3 115.83x
York St Mary 3 7.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 60
Elizabeth 41
Jane 23
Margaret 18
Sarah 17
Agnes 16
Ann 15
Ellen 15
Eleanor 13
Alice 7
Isabella 7
Martha 6
Annie 5
Catherine 5
Elizth. 5
Betsy 4
Edith 4
Hannah 4
Lilly 4
Ada 3
Betty 3
Clara 3
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Nancy 3
Rachel 3
Emily 2
Esther 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Maria 2
Ruth 2
Amy 1
Antoinette 1
Bell 1
Btty 1
Charlotte 1
Dorothy 1
E.B. 1
Emley 1
Hanna 1
Ida 1
Janet 1
Jessie 1
Louisa 1
Lucella 1
Lucy 1
Margret 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 59
William 45
Thomas 37
George 27
James 24
Robert 15
Henry 12
Joseph 9
Edwin 8
Samuel 8
Alfred 7
Francis 5
Edward 4
Frederick 4
Miles 4
Albert 3
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Christopher 3
Harry 3
Walter 3
Adam 2
Fred 2
Isaac 2
Jonathan 2
Roger 2
Stephen 2
Tom 2
Wm. 2
Alexr. 1
Alford 1
Anthony 1
Antony 1
Charley 1
David 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Fred.W. 1
Fredrick 1
Geoge 1
Joshua 1
Kay 1
Martin 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Moses 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Rhalp 1
Rhilp 1

FAQ

Woodburn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woodburn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 950 people were recorded with the Woodburn surname. That placed it at #4,069 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woodburn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,341 in 2016. That gives Woodburn a modern rank of #4,497.

What does the Woodburn surname mean?

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

What does the Woodburn map show?

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