NameCensus.

UK surname

Woodwards

In the 1881 census there were 254 people recorded with the Woodwards surname, ranking it #10,949 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 232, ranked #17,694, down from #10,949 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Witham, London parishes and Brightwell Baldwin. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, Wycombe and Swindon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woodwards is 359 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.7%.

1881 census count

254

Ranked #10,949

Modern count

232

2016, ranked #17,694

Peak year

1911

359 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woodwards had 254 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,949 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 232 in 2016, ranked #17,694.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 359 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Woodwards surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woodwards surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Woodwards 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 273 #8,212
1861 historical 223 #10,942
1881 historical 254 #10,949
1891 historical 332 #10,251
1901 historical 304 #11,543
1911 historical 359 #10,084
1997 modern 226 #16,306
1998 modern 248 #15,772
1999 modern 251 #15,751
2000 modern 258 #15,427
2001 modern 250 #15,527
2002 modern 244 #16,085
2003 modern 239 #16,093
2004 modern 246 #15,854
2005 modern 238 #16,198
2006 modern 240 #16,177
2007 modern 246 #16,086
2008 modern 244 #16,346
2009 modern 254 #16,230
2010 modern 268 #15,978
2011 modern 251 #16,589
2012 modern 248 #16,618
2013 modern 243 #17,114
2014 modern 247 #17,035
2015 modern 237 #17,413
2016 modern 232 #17,694

Geography

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Where Woodwards' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Witham, London parishes, Brightwell Baldwin, Appleton and St Albans St Michael. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, Wycombe, Swindon, Vale of White Horse and Wiltshire. 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 Witham Essex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Brightwell Baldwin Oxfordshire
4 Appleton Berkshire
5 St Albans St Michael Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 015 Rotherham
2 Wycombe 001 Wycombe
3 Swindon 010 Swindon
4 Vale of White Horse 016 Vale of White Horse
5 Wiltshire 046 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Woodwards

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Woodwards

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Woodwards is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Woodwards is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Woodwards falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Woodwards is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Woodwards, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Woodwards families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woodwards 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. Oxfordshire leads with 68 Woodwards' recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.27x.

County Total Index
Oxfordshire 68 44.27x
Cornwall 45 15.98x
Essex 31 6.31x
Berkshire 28 15.00x
Buckinghamshire 24 15.96x
Hertfordshire 17 9.92x
Middlesex 16 0.64x
Gloucestershire 11 2.25x
Surrey 5 0.41x
Lancashire 4 0.14x
Kent 2 0.24x
Lincolnshire 2 0.50x
Bedfordshire 1 0.78x
Royal Navy 1 3.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brightwell Baldwin in Oxfordshire leads with 22 Woodwards' recorded in 1881 and an index of 11578.95x.

Place Total Index
Brightwell Baldwin 22 11578.95x
Rotherfield Greys 14 858.90x
Witham 14 553.36x
Cuddesdon 13 3095.24x
Wing 13 935.25x
St Issey 12 2068.97x
Appleton 11 2244.90x
Bradwell 10 1190.48x
Bray 9 163.93x
Eastleach Turville 9 2432.43x
St Columb Minor 9 381.36x
Roche 8 559.44x
West Wycombe 8 392.16x
Ealing 7 31.49x
Garsington 7 1346.15x
Hatfield Peverel 7 660.38x
St Albans St Michael 7 364.58x
St Kew 7 744.68x
Shirburn 6 2222.22x
Newington 5 5.44x
Great Coxwell 4 1666.67x
Kensington London 4 2.89x
Newton 4 17.58x
Abbots Langley 3 117.65x
Gerrans 3 394.74x
Henley On Thames 3 95.24x
St Albans St Peter 3 51.90x
Upton Cum Chalvey 3 50.08x
Aspenden 2 377.36x
Halton Holegate 2 476.19x
Lechlade 2 200.00x
Perranzabuloe 2 82.30x
St Austell 2 20.77x
St Marylebone London 2 1.51x
Tilehurst 2 53.05x
Berkhampstead 1 25.97x
Bromley 1 7.73x
Cubert 1 312.50x
Hemel Hempstead 1 12.95x
Leighton Buzzard 1 18.05x
Lewisham 1 2.21x
Lt Milton 1 322.58x
New Windsor 1 15.92x
Oxford St Clement 1 25.77x
Paddington London 1 1.09x
Royal Navy 1 3.95x
Shrivenham 1 108.70x
St Anne Soho London 1 7.04x
St Columb Major 1 42.74x
Watlington 1 63.69x
Willesden 1 4.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Sarah 14
Elizabeth 10
Ellen 9
Jane 9
Ann 6
Eliza 5
Alice 4
Annie 4
Emily 4
Emma 3
Ada 2
Bessie 2
Caroline 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Harriett 2
Jemima 2
Maria 2
Susanah 2
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Blanche 1
Bridget 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
E.R.J. 1
Edith 1
Lilly 1
Margt. 1
Marritta 1
Martha 1
Nanie 1
Rachel 1
Rosamond 1
Rose 1
Rosey 1
Selina 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
Charles 9
George 9
James 9
Henry 8
Thomas 8
John 6
Alfred 4
Edwin 4
Frederick 4
Samuel 4
Amos 3
Edward 3
Harry 3
Joseph 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Abram 1
Albert 1
Allen 1
Arthur 1
David 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Franky 1
Fredrick 1
Goerge 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Leonard 1
Luke 1
Mathew 1
Nicholas 1
Park 1
Percival 1
Percy 1
R.T. 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Tom 1
Uriah 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Woodwards surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woodwards surname in 1881?

In 1881, 254 people were recorded with the Woodwards surname. That placed it at #10,949 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woodwards surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 232 in 2016. That gives Woodwards a modern rank of #17,694.

What does the Woodwards map show?

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