NameCensus.

UK surname

Woolf

An English toponymic surname derived from the Old English wulf, meaning "wolf," likely referring to someone living near a wolf habitat.

In the 1881 census there were 996 people recorded with the Woolf surname, ranking it #3,916 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,713, ranked #3,644, up from #3,916 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Botolph Aldgate, Christ Church Spitalfields and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet, Blaenau Gwent and Westminster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woolf is 1,931 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 72.0%.

1881 census count

996

Ranked #3,916

Modern count

1,713

2016, ranked #3,644

Peak year

1999

1,931 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woolf had 996 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,916 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,713 in 2016, ranked #3,644.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,866 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Woolf surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woolf surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Woolf 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 485 #5,144
1861 historical 501 #5,220
1881 historical 996 #3,916
1891 historical 1,231 #3,505
1901 historical 1,684 #3,065
1911 historical 1,866 #2,650
1997 modern 1,870 #3,223
1998 modern 1,924 #3,255
1999 modern 1,931 #3,266
2000 modern 1,891 #3,316
2001 modern 1,833 #3,339
2002 modern 1,852 #3,374
2003 modern 1,831 #3,352
2004 modern 1,792 #3,408
2005 modern 1,790 #3,383
2006 modern 1,770 #3,423
2007 modern 1,789 #3,425
2008 modern 1,743 #3,530
2009 modern 1,751 #3,582
2010 modern 1,810 #3,545
2011 modern 1,785 #3,558
2012 modern 1,730 #3,592
2013 modern 1,767 #3,583
2014 modern 1,764 #3,599
2015 modern 1,756 #3,587
2016 modern 1,713 #3,644

Geography

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Where Woolfs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Botolph Aldgate, Christ Church Spitalfields, London parishes, St Mary Whitechapel and St Leonard Shoreditch. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet, Blaenau Gwent and Westminster. 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 St Botolph Aldgate London (Central Districts)
2 Christ Church Spitalfields London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 1
4 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
5 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 032 Barnet
2 Blaenau Gwent 003 Blaenau Gwent
3 Westminster 007 Westminster
4 Barnet 035 Barnet
5 Barnet 037 Barnet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Woolf

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Woolf

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Woolf surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Woolf household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Woolf is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Woolf is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Woolf 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 Woolf 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Woolf

The surname Woolf originated in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "wulf," meaning wolf, which was likely used as a nickname for a fierce or courageous person. The name may also have been given to someone who lived near a wooded area inhabited by wolves.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1190, where a person named Wluric Wulf is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also list several individuals with variations of the name, such as Willelmus Wolf and Johannes le Wolfe.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership in England, there are references to places like Wulfpit and Wulfmere, which may have influenced the development of the surname.

The name Woolf was particularly prevalent in counties like Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, where many families bearing the name were landowners or members of the gentry class.

One notable figure in history with the surname Woolf was Sir John Woolf (1513-1573), an English diplomat and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another was Captain John Woolf (1756-1833), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War.

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), the renowned English writer and one of the foremost modernist authors of the 20th century, is perhaps the most famous individual with the surname Woolf. Her novels, such as "Mrs. Dalloway" and "To the Lighthouse," are considered literary masterpieces.

Other prominent individuals with the name include Arthur Woolf (1766-1837), an English engineer and inventor of the compound steam engine, and Berthold Woolf (1884-1971), a German-born American engineer and pioneer in the field of reinforced concrete construction.

Over time, the name Woolf has been subject to various spellings, including Wolfe, Wulff, and Wulf, reflecting its linguistic evolution and regional variations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Woolf families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woolf 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 503 Woolfs recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.17x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 503 5.17x
Surrey 98 2.07x
Lancashire 53 0.46x
Essex 47 2.45x
Yorkshire 36 0.37x
Kent 31 0.93x
Warwickshire 31 1.26x
Somerset 28 1.79x
Devon 26 1.28x
Herefordshire 22 5.51x
Staffordshire 21 0.64x
Lincolnshire 16 1.03x
Brecknockshire 9 4.62x
Cambridgeshire 9 1.46x
Cheshire 9 0.42x
Cornwall 9 0.82x
Gloucestershire 9 0.47x
Derbyshire 8 0.52x
Hampshire 6 0.30x
Monmouthshire 6 0.85x
Dorset 5 0.78x
Midlothian 3 0.23x
Northumberland 3 0.21x
Berkshire 2 0.27x
Hertfordshire 2 0.30x
Sussex 2 0.12x
Angus 1 0.11x
Glamorgan 1 0.06x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitechapel London in Middlesex leads with 62 Woolfs recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.61x.

Place Total Index
Whitechapel London 62 64.61x
Spitalfields London 60 81.94x
Mile End Old Town 48 31.24x
Bethnal Green London 41 9.69x
St Marylebone London 41 7.89x
St Botolph Aldgate 35 263.36x
St George In East 30 45.30x
Birmingham 29 3.54x
Lambeth 23 2.71x
Paddington London 23 6.43x
Shoreditch London 22 5.21x
Islington London 18 1.91x
Southwark St George Martyr 16 8.17x
Old Artillery Ground 15 179.00x
Ross 14 88.16x
Knottingley 13 76.65x
Mile End New Town 13 97.82x
Bow London 12 9.68x
St Luke London 12 7.68x
Cheetham 11 12.77x
Deptford St Paul 11 4.29x
Kensington London 11 2.03x
Southwark St Saviour 11 21.99x
Barnes 10 49.85x
Camberwell 10 1.61x
Newcastle Under Lyme 10 17.20x
West Ham 10 2.36x
Burnham 9 126.76x
Leeds 9 1.65x
Sculcoates 9 5.88x
Thoresway 9 1046.51x
All Hallows London 8 1111.11x
Manchester 8 1.54x
Newington 8 2.22x
Rosliston 8 522.88x
St George Martyr 8 48.75x
West Mersea 8 217.39x
Baumber 7 608.70x
Bedminster 7 4.75x
Bideford 7 32.24x
Flax Bourton 7 1206.90x
Limehouse London 7 6.55x
Llangunider 7 57.71x
Paglesham 7 409.36x
Southwark St John 7 23.51x
St George Hanover 7 5.51x
St Lawrence 7 30.65x
Alsager 6 112.15x
Canewdon 6 250.00x
Exeter St Sidwell 6 12.93x
Newport 6 17.87x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 3.84x
Wembury 6 326.09x
Blackburn 5 1.63x
Eccleston In Prescot 5 8.62x
Elsworth 5 223.21x
Gloucester St Nicholas 5 56.56x
Hackney London 5 0.92x
Leatherhead 5 42.09x
Poole St James 5 20.82x
St Pancras London 5 0.64x
Wrington 5 95.06x
Axbridge 4 263.16x
Birkdale 4 13.68x
Chesterton 4 21.04x
Millbrook 4 7.96x
Salford 4 1.18x
Shadwell London 4 14.68x
St Ives 4 18.54x
Walford 4 100.76x
Warrington 4 2.92x
Westminster St 4 11.15x
Bermondsey 3 1.04x
Harborne 3 2.85x
Holy Trinity St Mary 3 20.42x
Mangotsfield 3 15.76x
North Leith 3 4.97x
Orpington 3 29.50x
Redruth 3 9.62x
Westgate 3 3.34x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Woolf surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woolf surname in 1881?

In 1881, 996 people were recorded with the Woolf surname. That placed it at #3,916 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woolf surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,713 in 2016. That gives Woolf a modern rank of #3,644.

What does the Woolf surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from the Old English wulf, meaning "wolf," likely referring to someone living near a wolf habitat.

What does the Woolf map show?

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