NameCensus.

UK surname

Woodruff

A surname referring to someone who lived near a wood overgrown with rue, a bitter medicinal herb.

In the 1881 census there were 1,397 people recorded with the Woodruff surname, ranking it #2,964 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,785, ranked #3,528, down from #2,964 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Silkstone, London parishes and St Leonard Bromley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Woking, Barnsley and Preston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woodruff is 1,820 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.8%.

1881 census count

1,397

Ranked #2,964

Modern count

1,785

2016, ranked #3,528

Peak year

1911

1,820 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woodruff had 1,397 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,964 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,785 in 2016, ranked #3,528.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,820 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Woodruff surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woodruff surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Woodruff 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 775 #3,450
1861 historical 758 #3,608
1881 historical 1,397 #2,964
1891 historical 1,500 #2,937
1901 historical 1,621 #3,185
1911 historical 1,820 #2,705
1997 modern 1,722 #3,459
1998 modern 1,784 #3,478
1999 modern 1,820 #3,437
2000 modern 1,816 #3,436
2001 modern 1,770 #3,437
2002 modern 1,798 #3,458
2003 modern 1,753 #3,479
2004 modern 1,760 #3,464
2005 modern 1,733 #3,483
2006 modern 1,713 #3,519
2007 modern 1,703 #3,569
2008 modern 1,692 #3,612
2009 modern 1,753 #3,580
2010 modern 1,800 #3,566
2011 modern 1,757 #3,593
2012 modern 1,771 #3,524
2013 modern 1,809 #3,522
2014 modern 1,816 #3,525
2015 modern 1,788 #3,540
2016 modern 1,785 #3,528

Geography

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Where Woodruffs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Silkstone, London parishes, St Leonard Bromley, Preston and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Woking, Barnsley, Preston, Huntingdonshire and Lancaster. 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 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Leonard Bromley London (East Districts)
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Woking 001 Woking
2 Barnsley 028 Barnsley
3 Preston 009 Preston
4 Huntingdonshire 015 Huntingdonshire
5 Lancaster 005 Lancaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Woodruff

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Woodruff

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Woodruff, 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 Woodruff surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Woodruff 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, Woodruff 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

Woodruff is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Woodruff

The surname Woodruff is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "wudu" meaning wood and "hryffe" meaning rough or overgrown with bushes. It was initially an occupational name for someone who lived near or worked in a densely wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176, where it is spelled "Wuderove". The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, also mentions several places with names containing the element "wudu", suggesting the name's antiquity.

During the Middle Ages, the name was found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. In the 13th century, records show a Gilbert Woderoue residing in Cheshire, while a Richard Woderove was documented in Yorkshire in 1273.

Notable individuals with the surname Woodruff include John Woodruff (c. 1570-1637), an English clergyman and author, and Samuel Woodruff (1636-1683), one of the founders of the town of Southold, New York. In more recent times, there was Harry Woodruff (1887-1952), an American actor, and Ann Woodruff (1923-2014), an American actress known for her roles in several Broadway productions.

Another prominent figure was William Woodruff (1916-2008), an American historian and author who wrote extensively on the American West and the Indian Wars. He is particularly renowned for his book "Revolt Against the Modern World" (1958), which explored the lives of several Native American leaders.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America dates back to the 17th century, when a family of Woodruffs settled in Hartford, Connecticut. Over time, the name spread to various parts of the United States, with concentrations found in states like New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Woodruff families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woodruff 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 308 Woodruffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.89x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 308 1.89x
Middlesex 222 1.62x
Yorkshire 136 1.00x
Kent 117 2.49x
Durham 70 1.71x
Gloucestershire 69 2.56x
Surrey 64 0.96x
Derbyshire 60 2.79x
Sussex 47 2.03x
Cheshire 35 1.15x
Lincolnshire 35 1.59x
Nottinghamshire 35 1.89x
Huntingdonshire 31 11.36x
Essex 28 1.03x
Monmouthshire 21 2.11x
Buckinghamshire 20 2.41x
Northamptonshire 15 1.16x
Suffolk 12 0.72x
Wiltshire 10 0.82x
Isle of Man 9 3.53x
Westmorland 7 2.32x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.69x
Bedfordshire 5 0.70x
Devon 5 0.17x
Glamorgan 5 0.21x
Shropshire 5 0.42x
Anglesey 4 1.64x
Hampshire 4 0.14x
Warwickshire 4 0.12x
Cornwall 3 0.19x
Somerset 3 0.14x
Hertfordshire 2 0.21x
Northumberland 2 0.10x
Oxfordshire 2 0.24x
Staffordshire 2 0.04x
Berkshire 1 0.10x
Channel Islands 1 0.25x
Cumberland 1 0.08x
Fife 1 0.12x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x
Royal Navy 1 0.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 71 Woodruffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.27x.

Place Total Index
Preston 71 16.27x
Walton Le Dale 44 100.39x
Barnsley 32 22.78x
Bromley London 29 9.59x
Deal 27 67.50x
Blackburn 26 5.99x
Heworth 22 27.31x
Ramsgate 21 27.43x
Buxton 20 109.83x
St Pancras London 20 1.81x
Toxteth Park 20 3.62x
Westerleigh 19 314.05x
Bishopwearmouth 17 4.84x
Hunslet 17 8.00x
Brighton 16 3.42x
Hackney London 16 2.08x
Mile End Old Town 16 7.37x
Paddington London 16 3.17x
Poplar London 16 6.17x
Ashton Under Lyne 15 4.21x
Nottingham St Mary 14 2.92x
South Bersted 14 71.03x
Upper Machen 14 205.58x
Bury 13 792.68x
Leyton Low 13 23.57x
Macclesfield 13 9.64x
Snenton 13 17.86x
Manchester 12 1.64x
Staveley 12 31.41x
Tottenham 12 5.48x
Bethnal Green London 11 1.84x
Hipperholme Cum 11 18.38x
Kensington London 11 1.44x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 3.86x
Ripley 10 37.59x
Sedgefield 10 68.59x
Spotland 10 5.52x
Waddington 10 248.76x
Bow London 9 5.14x
Chelsea London 9 2.17x
Clapham 9 5.24x
Snodland 9 67.67x
Walton On Thames 9 29.27x
Alston 8 105.40x
Bootle Cum Linacre 8 6.18x
Bristol St Augustine 8 18.39x
Everton 8 1.54x
Grantham 8 27.93x
Halifax 8 4.00x
Shoreditch London 8 1.34x
Beard 7 100.00x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 2.76x
Harwich St Nicholas 7 33.40x
Hastings St Leonards 7 20.55x
Hoghton 7 169.90x
Hulme 7 2.06x
Kendal 7 12.66x
Newington 7 1.38x
Onchan 7 9.52x
Salford 7 1.46x
St Woollos 7 6.31x
Stone 7 108.53x
Wellingborough 7 10.77x
Wingrave 7 163.93x
York Minster Yard W 7 221.52x
Ash Next Sandwich 6 57.86x
Battersea 6 1.19x
Bradford 6 1.82x
Dewsbury 6 4.30x
Ecclesall Bierlow 6 2.17x
Hampstead London 6 2.80x
Hartlepool 6 10.33x
Horfield 6 22.12x
Margate St John Baptist 6 6.99x
Mildenhall 6 33.73x
Sandwich St Peter 6 121.70x
Somersham 6 90.50x
Spittlegate 6 19.74x
Stockport 6 3.84x
Greenwich 5 2.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 84
John 73
Thomas 58
George 56
James 49
Henry 32
Joseph 29
Charles 25
Arthur 18
Robert 16
Edward 14
Walter 13
Frank 11
Richard 11
Frederick 8
Harry 8
Albert 7
Alfred 7
Thos. 6
Edwin 5
Ernest 5
Percy 5
Wm. 5
Fred 4
Fredrick 4
Samuel 4
Edwd. 3
Francis 3
Fredk. 3
Herbert 3
Peter 3
Phillip 3
Ralph 3
Alexr. 2
Benjamin 2
J. 2
Jas. 2
Jno. 2
Mark 2
Martin 2
Matthew 2
Samual 2
Solomon 2
Stephen 2
Claude 1
Cranmer 1
Cumberland 1
Ernst 1
Frederic 1
Jesse 1

FAQ

Woodruff surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woodruff surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,397 people were recorded with the Woodruff surname. That placed it at #2,964 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woodruff surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,785 in 2016. That gives Woodruff a modern rank of #3,528.

What does the Woodruff surname mean?

A surname referring to someone who lived near a wood overgrown with rue, a bitter medicinal herb.

What does the Woodruff map show?

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