NameCensus.

UK surname

Woodworth

An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived or worked in a wood or forest.

In the 1881 census there were 411 people recorded with the Woodworth surname, ranking it #7,826 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 601, ranked #8,708, down from #7,826 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Toxteth Park and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rossendale, Flintshire and Trafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woodworth is 630 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.2%.

1881 census count

411

Ranked #7,826

Modern count

601

2016, ranked #8,708

Peak year

2000

630 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woodworth had 411 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,826 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 601 in 2016, ranked #8,708.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 613 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Woodworth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woodworth surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Woodworth 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 245 #8,920
1861 historical 393 #6,524
1881 historical 411 #7,826
1891 historical 478 #7,694
1901 historical 501 #8,045
1911 historical 613 #6,725
1997 modern 555 #8,600
1998 modern 594 #8,456
1999 modern 619 #8,272
2000 modern 630 #8,134
2001 modern 597 #8,321
2002 modern 581 #8,630
2003 modern 566 #8,652
2004 modern 568 #8,661
2005 modern 594 #8,334
2006 modern 584 #8,450
2007 modern 597 #8,383
2008 modern 595 #8,474
2009 modern 617 #8,414
2010 modern 614 #8,638
2011 modern 612 #8,546
2012 modern 581 #8,804
2013 modern 574 #9,026
2014 modern 597 #8,832
2015 modern 598 #8,763
2016 modern 601 #8,708

Geography

Back to top

Where Woodworths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Toxteth Park, Eccles, Manchester and Chester St John the Baptist, St Mary-on-the-Hill, St Olave, St Michael, Spittle Boughton, Chester Ca. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rossendale, Flintshire, Trafford, Ribble Valley and Powys. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Chester St John the Baptist, St Mary-on-the-Hill, St Olave, St Michael, Spittle Boughton, Chester Ca Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rossendale 002 Rossendale
2 Flintshire 015 Flintshire
3 Trafford 017 Trafford
4 Ribble Valley 002 Ribble Valley
5 Powys 001 Powys

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Woodworth

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Woodworth

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Woodworth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Woodworth 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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, Woodworth 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

Woodworth is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Woodworth falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Woodworth

The surname Woodworth is an English locational name derived from the Old English words 'wudu' meaning wood and 'worð' meaning an enclosure or homestead. It originates from places called Woodworth in Lancashire and Norfolk, England, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name hailed from these areas.

The name Woodworth first appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Wodewrde' and 'Wodeword', referring to landowners or tenants in various counties across England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Richard de Woodworth, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1199.

In the 13th century, the name Woodworth is found in various records, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it appears as 'Wodewrth' and 'Wudewurth'. During this period, the spelling of the name varied greatly, with variations like 'Wodword', 'Woodewurth', and 'Woodeworth' appearing in different records.

Notable individuals with the surname Woodworth include John Woodworth (1590-1668), a prominent English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Stafford from 1628 to 1629. Another early bearer of the name was Arthur Woodworth (1642-1712), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In the 18th century, James Woodworth (1720-1783) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Academy of Arts and the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

During the American Revolutionary War, Samuel Woodworth (1757-1826) was a soldier and writer who is best known for his poem "The Old Oaken Bucket". He was born in Scituate, Massachusetts, and his family's ancestry can be traced back to early English settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Another notable figure was John Woodworth (1768-1858), an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Representative from New York from 1819 to 1823. He was born in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and was a descendant of one of the earliest Woodworth settlers in the American colonies.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Woodworth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woodworth 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 172 Woodworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.28x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 172 3.28x
Cheshire 62 6.36x
Yorkshire 55 1.26x
Isle of Man 42 51.18x
Staffordshire 20 1.34x
Gloucestershire 18 2.08x
Nottinghamshire 13 2.18x
Kent 12 0.80x
Middlesex 12 0.27x
Surrey 10 0.46x
Somerset 8 1.12x
Sussex 7 0.94x
Cornwall 4 0.80x
Glamorgan 3 0.39x
Warwickshire 3 0.27x
Cumberland 2 0.53x
Derbyshire 2 0.29x
Hampshire 2 0.22x
Shropshire 2 0.52x
Worcestershire 2 0.35x
Berkshire 1 0.30x
Durham 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rushen in Isle of Man leads with 41 Woodworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 738.74x.

Place Total Index
Rushen 41 738.74x
Clitheroe 32 207.39x
Oswaldtwistle 22 118.73x
Chester St Mary On Hill 16 191.16x
Halifax 14 21.78x
Brightside Bierlow 11 12.81x
Liverpool 11 3.45x
Selston 11 165.41x
Manchester 10 4.24x
Accrington 9 18.88x
Clifton 9 20.54x
Pendleton In Salford 9 14.41x
Ardwick 8 16.91x
Chorlton On Medlock 8 9.60x
Shepton Mallet 8 100.25x
Birkenhead 7 9.00x
Great Little Marsden 7 29.14x
Ratcliffe London 7 28.69x
West Derby 7 4.56x
Blymhill 6 789.47x
Bristol St Paul In 6 25.99x
Droylsden 6 35.07x
Haslington 6 218.98x
Hoole 6 162.60x
Newton In Makerfield 6 37.36x
North Meols 6 11.69x
Rosedale East Side 6 1016.95x
Southowram 6 44.88x
Weston In Nantwich 6 759.49x
Brighton 5 3.33x
Chester Holy Trinity 5 109.41x
Heeley 5 37.57x
Kingston On Thames 5 9.67x
Newton 5 12.37x
Rugeley 5 46.73x
Toxteth Park 5 2.82x
Chester St Bridget 4 239.52x
Hassall 4 851.06x
Moss Side 4 14.50x
Northowram 4 13.03x
Redruth 4 28.27x
Willesborough 4 98.77x
Cheetham 3 7.67x
Deptford St Nicholas 3 25.08x
Eccleshill 3 28.14x
Manningham 3 5.56x
Stoke Upon Trent 3 1.90x
Whitchurch 3 72.12x
Ashford 2 13.62x
Barnton 2 85.84x
Battersea 2 1.23x
Birkdale 2 15.07x
Blackburn 2 1.43x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 6.92x
Cleator 2 12.63x
Coventry St Michael 2 5.59x
Dewsbury 2 4.45x
Glossop Dale 2 6.17x
Gorton 2 4.06x
Newton In Northwich 2 67.34x
Poplar London 2 2.40x
Portsea 2 1.13x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 2 47.39x
Stourbridge 2 13.47x
Westbourne 2 53.91x
Willenhall 2 7.16x
Withington 2 11.84x
Wolverhampton 2 1.74x
Woolwich 2 3.59x
Bristol 1 121.95x
Croydon 1 0.84x
Dawdon 1 6.18x
Huddersfield 1 1.57x
Hulme 1 0.91x
Litherland 1 9.12x
Nottingham St Mary 1 0.65x
Radford 1 3.30x
Rusholme 1 7.15x
Tranmere 1 2.79x
Wallasey 1 30.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 32
Mary 28
Sarah 17
Jane 14
Margaret 13
Emily 11
Annie 10
Ellen 9
Martha 8
Charlotte 7
Alice 6
Ann 6
Emma 6
Ada 5
Catherine 3
Florence 3
Harriet 3
Julia 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Anne 2
Beatrice 2
Bessie 2
Eliza 2
Elizth. 2
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Maria 2
Minnie 2
Bertha 1
Breatrice 1
Catherina 1
Eliz. 1
Eliz.J. 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Ida 1
Jannie 1
Jenny 1
Lilly 1
Margret 1
Margrett 1
Marion 1
Marther 1
Nanny 1
Nellie 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Thresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 31
John 23
Thomas 18
George 15
Henry 10
Joseph 10
James 9
Robert 8
Charles 7
Edwin 5
Samuel 5
Anthony 4
Daniel 4
Edward 4
Richard 4
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Tom 3
Arthur 2
Christopher 2
Edwd. 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Peter 2
Richd. 2
Wm. 2
Benjamin 1
Cornelius 1
Edw. 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Harold 1
Jno. 1
Job 1
Joshua 1
Josiah 1
Leander 1
Levi 1
Luiss 1
Mark 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Nathan 1
Oswald 1
Phillip 1
Rhobert 1
Thom. 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Woodworth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woodworth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 411 people were recorded with the Woodworth surname. That placed it at #7,826 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woodworth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 601 in 2016. That gives Woodworth a modern rank of #8,708.

What does the Woodworth surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived or worked in a wood or forest.

What does the Woodworth map show?

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