NameCensus.

UK surname

Woolridge

An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "ridge frequented by wolves."

In the 1881 census there were 401 people recorded with the Woolridge surname, ranking it #7,959 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 553, ranked #9,240, down from #7,959 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Child Okeford, Oakford Fitzpaine, Bellchalwell, Fifehead Neville and Blandford Town, Pimperne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent, Walsall and Lichfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woolridge is 660 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.9%.

1881 census count

401

Ranked #7,959

Modern count

553

2016, ranked #9,240

Peak year

2000

660 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woolridge had 401 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,959 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 553 in 2016, ranked #9,240.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 583 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Woolridge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woolridge surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Woolridge 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 280 #8,043
1861 historical 325 #7,835
1881 historical 401 #7,959
1891 historical 404 #8,802
1901 historical 583 #7,232
1911 historical 384 #9,571
1997 modern 513 #9,138
1998 modern 642 #7,975
1999 modern 659 #7,866
2000 modern 660 #7,847
2001 modern 613 #8,156
2002 modern 628 #8,180
2003 modern 593 #8,407
2004 modern 600 #8,346
2005 modern 593 #8,342
2006 modern 589 #8,395
2007 modern 589 #8,477
2008 modern 601 #8,406
2009 modern 594 #8,663
2010 modern 618 #8,587
2011 modern 613 #8,539
2012 modern 587 #8,746
2013 modern 591 #8,837
2014 modern 588 #8,936
2015 modern 568 #9,068
2016 modern 553 #9,240

Geography

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Where Woolridges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Child Okeford, Oakford Fitzpaine, Bellchalwell, Fifehead Neville, Blandford Town, Pimperne, Dilhorne and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stoke-on-Trent, Walsall and Lichfield. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Child Okeford, Oakford Fitzpaine, Bellchalwell, Fifehead Neville Dorset
3 Blandford Town, Pimperne Dorset
4 Dilhorne Staffordshire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 025 Stoke-on-Trent
2 Stoke-on-Trent 028 Stoke-on-Trent
3 Walsall 018 Walsall
4 Stoke-on-Trent 031 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Lichfield 003 Lichfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Woolridge

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Woolridge

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Woolridge surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Woolridge household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Woolridge 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

Woolridge is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Woolridge 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 Woolridge is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Woolridge

The surname Woolridge is of English origin, and it first appeared in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "wull" meaning wool, and "ridge" referring to a ridge or hill, indicating that the name likely originated from a place where wool was produced or traded near a ridge or hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1208, where it is spelled as "Wullerige." This suggests that the name was initially concentrated in the West Midlands region of England.

The surname Woolridge is also associated with various place names across England, such as Woolridge in Wiltshire and Woolridge Green in Gloucestershire. These locations may have played a role in the formation and spread of the surname.

In the 13th century, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mention a John de Wullerugg from Oxfordshire, indicating the name's presence in that area during that time period.

One notable bearer of the Woolridge surname was Sir Robert Woolridge (1536-1594), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Westbury in Wiltshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another historical figure with this surname was John Woolridge (1665-1743), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Pophill in Wiltshire and wrote several religious works.

In the 17th century, the surname Woolridge appeared in various records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1665-1666, where it is spelled as "Wooleredge" and "Wooleridge," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era.

Thomas Woolridge (1766-1839) was an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Piccadilly Terrace and parts of Regent's Park.

William Woolridge (1795-1879) was a British colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant Governor of the British Virgin Islands from 1852 to 1856, and later as the Governor of the Falkland Islands from 1857 to 1864.

The surname Woolridge has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to immigration from England. However, its origins can be traced back to the wool-producing regions of England, particularly in the West Midlands and surrounding areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Woolridge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woolridge 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. Staffordshire leads with 92 Woolridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.90x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 92 6.90x
Devon 49 5.96x
Dorset 45 17.36x
Lancashire 36 0.77x
Surrey 34 1.77x
Middlesex 27 0.68x
Somerset 17 2.67x
Yorkshire 17 0.43x
Warwickshire 14 1.41x
Kent 8 0.59x
Hampshire 7 0.86x
Berkshire 6 2.02x
Cheshire 6 0.69x
Buckinghamshire 5 2.09x
Radnorshire 5 15.69x
Worcestershire 5 0.97x
Cumberland 4 1.18x
Sussex 4 0.60x
Cornwall 3 0.67x
Northumberland 3 0.51x
Royal Navy 3 6.37x
Durham 2 0.17x
Herefordshire 2 1.23x
Hertfordshire 2 0.73x
Northamptonshire 2 0.54x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.40x
Essex 1 0.13x
Isle of Man 1 1.36x
Lincolnshire 1 0.16x
Orkney 1 2.30x
Oxfordshire 1 0.41x
Wiltshire 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 15 Woolridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.04x.

Place Total Index
Everton 15 10.04x
Halwell 15 1666.67x
Okeford Fitzpaine 15 1807.23x
Lifton 14 707.07x
Audley 10 75.82x
Rolleston 10 980.39x
Winterborne Stickland 10 1538.46x
Clerkenwell London 9 9.65x
Kingswinford 8 16.52x
Warrington 8 14.40x
Wolstanton 8 19.75x
Aston 7 2.55x
Blandford St Mary 7 1428.57x
Burntwood Edial 7 82.16x
Camberwell 7 2.77x
Deptford St Paul 7 6.73x
Heath Charnock 7 560.00x
Blandford Forum 6 117.19x
Stafford St Mary 6 31.78x
Walcot 6 17.71x
Biddulph 5 66.49x
Birkenhead 5 7.19x
Charlton Marshall 5 568.18x
Chelsea London 5 4.20x
Church Eaton 5 555.56x
Erringden 5 197.63x
Frithelstock 5 657.89x
Rawmarsh 5 36.15x
Southwark Christchurch 5 27.01x
Upton Cum Chalvey 5 52.52x
Dudley 4 6.38x
Ewell 4 98.52x
Germansweek 4 1111.11x
Kintbury 4 174.67x
Llanfihangel Beguildy 4 298.51x
Norton In Moors 4 56.66x
Rodney Stoke 4 909.09x
Rugby 4 29.67x
Southampton St Mary 4 7.86x
St Cuthbert W O 4 24.13x
St James Bath 4 1212.12x
Wandsworth 4 10.52x
Beerferris 3 187.50x
Birmingham 3 0.90x
Exeter St Sidwell 3 15.93x
Royal Navy 3 7.46x
Smallthorne 3 60.61x
St George Hanover 3 5.82x
Stoke Upon Trent 3 2.12x
Wolstanton Oldcott 3 62.11x
Badby 2 270.27x
Brighton 2 1.49x
Coppenhall Dunston 2 408.16x
Dilhorne 2 90.09x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 2.51x
Eccleshall 2 39.53x
Eston 2 23.45x
Kimberworth 2 9.20x
Kingston On Thames 2 4.33x
Lambeth 2 0.58x
Manchester 2 0.95x
Paddington London 2 1.38x
Redruth 2 15.81x
Rotherhithe 2 4.10x
Sedgley 2 4.04x
St Pancras London 2 0.63x
Stone 2 11.72x
Watford 2 9.47x
Winslow 2 357.14x
Battersea 1 0.69x
Cheadle 1 6.00x
Croxden 1 416.67x
Kencot 1 370.37x
Llandewy Ystradenny 1 125.00x
Northam 1 16.69x
Penkridge 1 29.07x
Sheffield 1 0.80x
St George In East 1 3.72x
Walton On Thames 1 11.31x
Whatley 1 172.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Elizabeth 21
Eliza 13
Emma 12
Jane 9
Sarah 9
Ann 8
Alice 7
Ellen 6
Emily 6
Anne 5
Hannah 5
Louisa 5
Martha 5
Margaret 4
Annie 3
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Harriett 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Catherine 2
Evelin 2
Harriet 2
Beatrice 1
Beetrice 1
Bessie 1
Blanche 1
Christian 1
Dinah 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.A. 1
Eunice 1
Eva 1
Florence 1
Florince 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Georgina 1
Helen 1
Joanna 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Kath 1
Lizzie 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 26
John 24
Thomas 18
George 13
James 11
Charles 10
Henry 7
Walter 7
Robert 6
Joseph 5
Arthur 4
Francis 4
Wm. 4
Alfred 3
Frank 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Benjamin 2
Edward 2
Emmanuel 2
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Bertie 1
Bertrand 1
Daniel 1
Ellen 1
Ephrahim 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Infant 1
Jas. 1
Jeremiah 1
Jesse 1
Joe 1
Joshua 1
Kaleb 1
North. 1
Reuben 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Tom 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Woolridge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woolridge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 401 people were recorded with the Woolridge surname. That placed it at #7,959 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woolridge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 553 in 2016. That gives Woolridge a modern rank of #9,240.

What does the Woolridge surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "ridge frequented by wolves."

What does the Woolridge map show?

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