NameCensus.

UK surname

Woodford

From the Old English words "wudu" meaning "wood" and "ford" meaning "river crossing," referring to someone living near a ford in the woods.

In the 1881 census there were 2,069 people recorded with the Woodford surname, ranking it #2,128 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,025, ranked #2,224, down from #2,128 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Newchurch and Calbourne, Shalfleet, Brook. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Isle of Wight and New Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woodford is 3,195 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.2%.

1881 census count

2,069

Ranked #2,128

Modern count

3,025

2016, ranked #2,224

Peak year

2000

3,195 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woodford had 2,069 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,128 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,025 in 2016, ranked #2,224.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,854 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Woodford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woodford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Woodford 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 1,403 #2,049
1861 historical 1,611 #1,768
1881 historical 2,069 #2,128
1891 historical 2,363 #1,986
1901 historical 2,643 #2,089
1911 historical 2,854 #1,827
1997 modern 3,053 #2,104
1998 modern 3,190 #2,106
1999 modern 3,192 #2,117
2000 modern 3,195 #2,103
2001 modern 3,078 #2,135
2002 modern 3,113 #2,162
2003 modern 3,101 #2,118
2004 modern 3,082 #2,133
2005 modern 3,029 #2,136
2006 modern 3,023 #2,149
2007 modern 3,038 #2,155
2008 modern 3,045 #2,156
2009 modern 3,115 #2,171
2010 modern 3,148 #2,196
2011 modern 3,128 #2,180
2012 modern 3,067 #2,181
2013 modern 3,109 #2,187
2014 modern 3,133 #2,188
2015 modern 3,045 #2,221
2016 modern 3,025 #2,224

Geography

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Where Woodfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Newchurch, Calbourne, Shalfleet, Brook and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Isle of Wight and New Forest. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Newchurch Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Calbourne, Shalfleet, Brook Hampshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Isle of Wight 011 Isle of Wight
2 Isle of Wight 009 Isle of Wight
3 New Forest 019 New Forest
4 Isle of Wight 008 Isle of Wight
5 New Forest 017 New Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Woodford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Woodford

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Woodford is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Woodford is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Woodford falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Woodford 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 Woodford, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Woodford

The surname Woodford is an English locational name derived from any of the numerous places named Woodford, meaning "wood by a ford" or "ford near a wood." The name is found in various counties across England, including Essex, Northamptonshire, and Wiltshire.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, with Roger de Wodeford appearing in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1285. In the 14th century, the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire mention John de Wodeforde in 1327.

The Woodford surname is not listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, as it was a locational name that emerged later. However, the place names from which the surname originated can be traced back to Anglo-Saxon times.

One notable historical figure with the surname Woodford was Sir Ralph Woodford (c. 1390-1459), an English soldier and landowner who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was appointed Governor of the Isle of Wight in 1440.

In the 16th century, Thomas Woodford (c. 1512-1558) was an English Roman Catholic martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Mary I for denying the spiritual supremacy of the Pope.

Another prominent Woodford was Sir Robert Woodford (1639-1717), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire from 1679 to 1685.

In the 19th century, James Russell Woodford (1820-1885) was an English clergyman and author who served as Bishop of Ely from 1873 until his death.

A more recent figure with the surname Woodford was Sir John Woodford (1868-1960), an English civil servant and historian who served as Clerk of the Privy Council from 1919 to 1939.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Woodford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woodford 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. Hampshire leads with 518 Woodfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.47x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 518 12.47x
Middlesex 273 1.35x
Leicestershire 198 8.81x
Surrey 110 1.11x
Northamptonshire 105 5.51x
Kent 76 1.10x
Wiltshire 60 3.35x
Dorset 57 4.29x
Yorkshire 55 0.27x
Nottinghamshire 54 1.98x
Buckinghamshire 52 4.25x
Warwickshire 48 0.94x
Sussex 44 1.29x
Lincolnshire 42 1.30x
Somerset 41 1.26x
Oxfordshire 35 2.80x
Gloucestershire 33 0.83x
Devon 29 0.69x
Staffordshire 28 0.41x
Derbyshire 25 0.79x
Monmouthshire 25 1.71x
Lancashire 22 0.09x
Essex 20 0.50x
Glamorgan 15 0.43x
Durham 12 0.20x
Brecknockshire 11 2.71x
Suffolk 11 0.45x
Berkshire 10 0.66x
Cheshire 8 0.18x
Hertfordshire 8 0.57x
Midlothian 8 0.29x
Denbighshire 7 0.91x
Channel Islands 6 1.00x
Northumberland 6 0.20x
Huntingdonshire 5 1.24x
Royal Navy 5 2.07x
Shropshire 4 0.23x
Norfolk 3 0.10x
Cornwall 2 0.09x
Fife 2 0.17x
Lanarkshire 2 0.03x
Cumberland 1 0.06x
Ross-shire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Carisbrooke in Hampshire leads with 53 Woodfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 91.93x.

Place Total Index
Carisbrooke 53 91.93x
Leicester St Margaret 53 9.67x
Boldre 51 342.74x
St Pancras London 37 2.27x
Brading 33 59.79x
Lambeth 31 1.75x
Ryde 30 33.63x
Dalby In The Wolds 28 1206.90x
Welford 28 434.11x
Kensington London 27 2.40x
Chelsea London 24 3.93x
Islington London 23 1.17x
Nottingham St Mary 23 3.26x
Shalfleet 23 287.14x
St Marylebone London 22 2.03x
Alverstoke 20 13.30x
Southampton St Mary 20 7.66x
Battersea 19 2.55x
Downton 19 81.02x
Northwood 19 32.13x
Stone 19 199.79x
St Helens 18 59.62x
West Haddon 18 291.26x
Newport 17 75.45x
Ventnor 17 43.04x
Portsea 16 1.97x
Kibworth Beauchamp 15 192.55x
Poplar London 15 3.92x
Aston 14 1.00x
Broughton 14 223.29x
Leicester St Mary 14 7.71x
St George Hanover 14 5.29x
Derby St Werburgh 13 7.10x
Limehouse London 13 5.84x
Tonbridge 13 5.21x
Brighton 12 1.74x
Chale 12 254.24x
Donhead St Mary 12 131.72x
Birmingham 11 0.65x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 11 2.94x
Camberwell 11 0.85x
Exeter St Sidwell 11 11.39x
Gravesend 11 18.79x
Middlesbrough 11 4.21x
Northampton St Sepulchre 11 11.35x
Romsey Extra 11 44.53x
South Stoneham 11 12.21x
Taunton St James 11 23.13x
West Ham 11 1.25x
Aldershot 10 7.19x
Bromley London 10 2.24x
Doncaster 10 6.82x
Farnham 10 13.03x
Isleworth 10 11.10x
Llanwenarth Ultra 10 93.55x
Mile End Old Town 10 3.13x
Milton In Gravesend 10 9.65x
Sandford 10 297.62x
Winchcomb 10 50.71x
Woodhouse 10 111.98x
Aberdare 9 3.72x
Hambledon 9 86.12x
Rotherham 9 7.95x
Scredington 9 381.36x
Tollard Farnham 9 703.13x
Whippingham 9 28.62x
Barrow Upon Soar 8 43.13x
Bishops Waltham 8 46.24x
Bishopstoke 8 75.05x
Chatham 8 4.21x
Corfe Mullen 8 165.98x
Cwmdu 8 120.48x
Hackney London 8 0.70x
Hoby 8 370.37x
Holdenhurst 8 7.34x
Kilsby 8 192.77x
Kirdford 8 67.45x
Risca 8 28.98x
Scaldwell 8 337.55x
Thurmaston 8 202.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 103
Elizabeth 86
Sarah 63
Emma 41
Ellen 39
Jane 37
Eliza 36
Ann 34
Emily 33
Annie 32
Alice 28
Kate 23
Louisa 21
Edith 17
Caroline 16
Charlotte 16
Maria 14
Anne 13
Ada 12
Catherine 12
Hannah 12
Clara 11
Florence 10
Martha 10
Harriett 9
Margaret 9
Rose 9
Amelia 8
Beatrice 7
Harriet 7
Lucy 7
Rosa 7
Agnes 6
Amy 6
Henrietta 6
Jessie 6
Lilian 6
Maud 6
Anna 5
Esther 5
Frances 5
Julia 5
Rebecca 5
Selina 5
Susan 5
Elizth. 4
Isabella 4
Jemima 4
May 4
Minnie 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 140
John 88
George 70
Charles 65
Thomas 62
James 61
Henry 56
Joseph 30
Edward 26
Alfred 25
Walter 21
Harry 18
Albert 17
Arthur 17
Frederick 17
Robert 15
Frank 14
Francis 12
Ernest 10
Richard 9
Samuel 9
Edwin 8
Wm. 8
Benjamin 7
David 7
Fredk. 7
Herbert 7
Andrew 6
Geo. 6
Isaac 6
Josiah 6
Sidney 6
Edmund 5
Percy 5
Thos. 5
Alexander 4
Horace 4
Edgar 3
Fred 3
Fredrick 3
Job 3
Jonathan 3
Mark 3
Percival 3
Abraham 2
Leonard 2
Levi 2
Martin 2
Noah 2
Ralph 2

FAQ

Woodford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woodford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,069 people were recorded with the Woodford surname. That placed it at #2,128 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woodford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,025 in 2016. That gives Woodford a modern rank of #2,224.

What does the Woodford surname mean?

From the Old English words "wudu" meaning "wood" and "ford" meaning "river crossing," referring to someone living near a ford in the woods.

What does the Woodford map show?

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