NameCensus.

UK surname

Woodsford

In the 1881 census there were 107 people recorded with the Woodsford surname, ranking it #18,982 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 191, ranked #20,194, down from #18,982 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Queen Camel, Melcombe Regis and Dorchester Holy Trinity, Fordington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woodsford is 241 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 78.5%.

1881 census count

107

Ranked #18,982

Modern count

191

2016, ranked #20,194

Peak year

1999

241 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woodsford had 107 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,982 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 191 in 2016, ranked #20,194.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 124 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Woodsford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woodsford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Woodsford 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 122 #18,036
1881 historical 107 #18,982
1891 historical 104 #23,388
1901 historical 120 #20,545
1911 historical 124 #20,023
1997 modern 231 #16,049
1998 modern 235 #16,358
1999 modern 241 #16,179
2000 modern 234 #16,470
2001 modern 220 #16,914
2002 modern 218 #17,338
2003 modern 213 #17,395
2004 modern 210 #17,644
2005 modern 207 #17,731
2006 modern 202 #18,160
2007 modern 200 #18,485
2008 modern 204 #18,403
2009 modern 203 #18,840
2010 modern 211 #18,774
2011 modern 211 #18,630
2012 modern 200 #19,207
2013 modern 193 #19,997
2014 modern 201 #19,641
2015 modern 193 #20,056
2016 modern 191 #20,194

Geography

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Where Woodsfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Queen Camel, Melcombe Regis, Dorchester Holy Trinity, Fordington, Tolpuddle and Cattistock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland, Shropshire, Bassetlaw and Cornwall. 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 Queen Camel Somerset
2 Melcombe Regis Dorset
3 Dorchester Holy Trinity, Fordington Dorset
4 Tolpuddle Dorset
5 Cattistock Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Dorset 001 West Dorset
2 Weymouth and Portland 003 Weymouth and Portland
3 Shropshire 036 Shropshire
4 Bassetlaw 015 Bassetlaw
5 Cornwall 055 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Woodsford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Woodsford

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Woodsford, 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 Woodsford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Woodsford 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Woodsford is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Woodsford 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

Woodsford falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Woodsford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woodsford 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. Dorset leads with 86 Woodsfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 111.96x.

County Total Index
Dorset 86 111.96x
Channel Islands 13 37.49x
Middlesex 8 0.68x
Somerset 6 3.19x
Gloucestershire 5 2.18x
Angus 1 0.92x
Kent 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Helier in Channel Islands leads with 13 Woodsfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 115.15x.

Place Total Index
St Helier 13 115.15x
Litton Cheney 9 4736.84x
Longbredy 9 10000.00x
Melcombe Regis 8 251.57x
Milton Abbas 8 2105.26x
Broadwinsor 7 1400.00x
Fordington 7 424.24x
Frome St Quintin 7 8750.00x
Charminster 6 983.61x
Portisham 6 2068.97x
Stapleton 5 114.94x
Sydling St Nicholas 5 2272.73x
Queen Camel 4 1818.18x
St George Hanover 4 26.18x
Chelsea London 3 8.51x
Askerswell 2 2500.00x
Littlebredy 2 2500.00x
Sparkford 2 2000.00x
Tolpuddle 2 1666.67x
Deptford St Paul 1 3.25x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 1 161.29x
Dundee 1 2.47x
Frampton 1 588.24x
Holwell 1 588.24x
Pulham 1 909.09x
St Pancras London 1 1.06x
Tuners Puddle 1 2000.00x
Weymouth 1 68.97x
Winterborne St Martin 1 588.24x
Winterborne Steepleton 1 1666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Joseph 8
William 8
James 5
Alfred 3
Bedford 3
Charles 3
Henry 3
Walter 3
Frederick 2
John 2
Thomas 2
Chares 1
David 1
Edwin 1
F. 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
George 1
Job 1
Levi 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Bartlett 1

FAQ

Woodsford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woodsford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 107 people were recorded with the Woodsford surname. That placed it at #18,982 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woodsford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 191 in 2016. That gives Woodsford a modern rank of #20,194.

What does the Woodsford map show?

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