NameCensus.

UK surname

Woodridge

A residential surname derived from a topographic name denoting someone who lived near a wooded ridge.

In the 1881 census there were 88 people recorded with the Woodridge surname, ranking it #21,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 125, ranked #26,827, down from #21,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Kintbury and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Devon, Cornwall and Gloucester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woodridge is 173 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.0%.

1881 census count

88

Ranked #21,211

Modern count

125

2016, ranked #26,827

Peak year

1997

173 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woodridge had 88 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016, ranked #26,827.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 151 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Woodridge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woodridge surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Woodridge 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 83 #19,181
1861 historical 134 #16,754
1881 historical 88 #21,211
1891 historical 151 #18,242
1901 historical 106 #22,076
1911 historical 133 #19,214
1997 modern 173 #19,295
1998 modern 166 #20,329
1999 modern 171 #20,072
2000 modern 146 #22,170
2001 modern 118 #24,832
2002 modern 128 #24,150
2003 modern 117 #25,282
2004 modern 119 #25,200
2005 modern 126 #24,287
2006 modern 125 #24,611
2007 modern 135 #23,824
2008 modern 129 #24,790
2009 modern 140 #24,033
2010 modern 145 #24,031
2011 modern 137 #24,716
2012 modern 132 #25,289
2013 modern 131 #25,932
2014 modern 127 #26,634
2015 modern 125 #26,808
2016 modern 125 #26,827

Geography

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Where Woodridges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Kintbury, London parishes, St Pancras and St Dunstan Stepney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Devon, Cornwall, Gloucester and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 Kintbury Berkshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Devon 004 West Devon
2 Cornwall 005 Cornwall
3 Gloucester 009 Gloucester
4 Rhondda Cynon Taf 015 Rhondda Cynon Taf
5 West Devon 005 West Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Woodridge

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Woodridge

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Woodridge surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Woodridge household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Woodridge is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Woodridge is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Woodridge falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Woodridge

The surname Woodridge has its origins in England, likely emerging during the medieval period. The name is believed to be toponymic, derived from geographical features of the landscape. It combines the Old English words "wudu," meaning forest or wood, and "hrycg," meaning ridge or raised strip of land. The surname suggests that the original bearers of the name lived near a wooded ridge or a ridge surrounded by woodland.

The earliest records mentioning similar forms of the name date back to the Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript created on the orders of William the Conqueror to inventory his newly conquered lands. While the exact name Woodridge does not appear in the Domesday Book, related names such as Wudhic and Wuderic are found, indicating early usage of "wood-" and "-ridge" components in place names and surnames.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Woodridge is from the 13th century with the mention of a John de Woderugge in 1275 in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire. This historical reference points to the use of the name in land taxation records, illustrating the surname was already in use and linked to specific localities.

Subsequent historical records show continuity and slight variations in the spelling of the surname. William Woodridge, born in 1385 and died in 1440, was a notable figure in Norfolk, where he was a landowner and possibly a minor lord. Another prominent Woodridge was Thomas Woodridge, born in 1510 and died in 1575, who served as a magistrate in Essex. These individuals highlight the spread and social standing of the surname across different regions in England.

During the 17th century, Richard Woodridge, born in 1603 and died in 1681, made his mark as a merchant in London. His trading ventures extended to the nascent American colonies, indicating the potential expansion of the surname beyond England. This period also saw the rise of John Woodridge, born in 1613 and died in 1694, an early settler in Massachusetts, whose descendants continued to bear the name in the New World.

In the 18th century, Elizabeth Woodridge, born in 1742 and died in 1810, gained some recognition as a landowner and philanthropist in Yorkshire. Her contributions to local charities were well-documented, showcasing the Woodridge name in historical records of social importance.

The surname Woodridge, with its roots deeply embedded in the English landscape, reflects a history intertwined with land, geography, and social development. From medieval tax records to land ownership and migration, the name has traversed centuries, leaving a trail of notable figures and enduring presence.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Woodridge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woodridge 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. Middlesex leads with 28 Woodridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.34x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 28 3.34x
Somerset 13 9.63x
Surrey 10 2.45x
Devon 7 4.01x
Cornwall 4 4.21x
Gloucestershire 4 2.43x
Yorkshire 4 0.48x
Hampshire 3 1.75x
Buckinghamshire 2 3.94x
Berkshire 1 1.59x
Durham 1 0.40x
Essex 1 0.60x
Glamorgan 1 0.68x
Kent 1 0.35x
Lancashire 1 0.10x
Midlothian 1 0.89x
Sussex 1 0.71x
Warwickshire 1 0.47x
Wiltshire 1 1.35x
Worcestershire 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. Mile End Old Town in Middlesex leads with 13 Woodridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 98.19x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town 13 98.19x
Bridgewater 12 326.98x
Rotherhithe 5 48.26x
Gloucester Kingsholm St 4 655.74x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 29.74x
St Pancras London 4 5.93x
Bossall With 3 10000.00x
Kingston On Thames 3 30.55x
St Neot 3 810.81x
Tottenham 3 22.46x
Heston 2 71.68x
Newton Blossomville 2 2857.14x
Southampton St Mary 2 18.50x
St Marylebone London 2 4.47x
Bath St Michael 1 147.06x
Battersea 1 3.24x
Birmingham 1 1.42x
Bishopwearmouth 1 4.67x
Bromham 1 303.03x
Carisbrooke 1 41.84x
Dorking 1 36.50x
Hammersmith London 1 4.84x
Hampstead London 1 7.66x
Hampton London 1 72.46x
Hamsey 1 625.00x
Lasswade 1 38.91x
Leigh 1 75.19x
Lewisham 1 6.55x
Liverpool 1 1.65x
New Windsor 1 47.17x
Northam 1 78.74x
Okehampton 1 151.52x
St Clement 1 101.01x
Swansea St Thomas 1 68.03x
Thrushelton 1 833.33x
West Ham 1 2.74x
Westminster St James 1 11.60x
Whitwood 1 84.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 8
Charles 4
George 4
Henry 4
James 4
William 4
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Chas. 1
Herbert 1
Peter 1
Reginald 1
Saml. 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Woodridge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woodridge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 88 people were recorded with the Woodridge surname. That placed it at #21,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woodridge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016. That gives Woodridge a modern rank of #26,827.

What does the Woodridge surname mean?

A residential surname derived from a topographic name denoting someone who lived near a wooded ridge.

What does the Woodridge map show?

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