Surname Woodfin - Meaning and Origin
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Woodfin: What does the surname Woodfin mean?
The last name Woodfin is of English-origin and is derived from a place-name. During the Middle Ages in England, surnames were created to identify a person geographically by where they resided. Thus, Woodfin derives from Wodevines, "the stream of the wood."
The earliest recorded use of the Woodfin name was in 1208 when a Benedict Woodfin was recorded in the County of Oxfordshire. The name was also recorded in the Bristol Poll Tax of 1377, and later in the County of Devon in 1408.
The traditional meaning behind the Woodfin name is 'from the forest of wine', as wine was produced in the forests of England in the Middle Ages. Alternately, it has been suggested that the Woodfin name derives from the woods which grew near high hills and was used to clear the ridge land.
The Woodfin family crest consists of an arm vested in a blue robe, holding a bunch of lillies, all while standing on a grassy mount. The Woodfin motto reads "unus homo nobis cunctas solversit opes," which roughly translates to "one man has opened all the resources for us."
Today, the Woodfin name is still prominent. Several notable individuals who carry this surname include multiple members of the British Parliament, a registrar of the Chancery Court of Tennessee, and a former mayor of Asheville, North Carolina.
Order DNA origin analysisWoodfin: Where does the name Woodfin come from?
The last name Woodfin is most commonly found in the United States today. It originated in England, most likely in the counties of Lancashire or Yorkshire, in the 13th century when surnames were first introduced. The name Woodfin is derived from Old English, meaning ‘dweller in a wooded valley.’
Today, the last name Woodfin is mainly found in the American South, primarily in the states of Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina. In the 1880 U.S. Census, the most Woodfin's were recorded in the state of Georgia. In 2000, the states with the most Woodfin's were Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina, in that order.
The Woodfin surname continues to be most commonly found in the South in areas near where it originated. It is also relatively common in numerous other states, including New Jersey, Florida, Michigan, and Louisiana. Since the turn of the century, it has been steadily increasing in the U.S., suggesting that many people are still being drawn to the South to trace their family heritage.
Variations of the surname Woodfin
Woodfin is a surname which has several variants, spellings and similar surnames of the same origin. The most common variants of Woodfin are Woodfinn, Woodfine, Woodfinne and Woodven. Woodfin is often found as a toponymic surname which is derived from a location where a person lived or held land. This location was usually named after the particular individual, or his family, in which case it became the family name.
Other similar surnames, which can all be related back to Woodfin, include Wooding, Woodman, Woodham, Woodring, WoodHouse, and Woodburn. Woodman and Woodham are also toponyms, derived from the Old English words wudu, meaning 'wood', and ham, meaning 'enclosure'.
WoodFin is of Anglo-Saxon ancestry and has roots in England and Scotland due to its prevalence in those countries. It is also found in the United States, primarily in the Southern region. The earliest recorded spelling of this surname is from 1179 A.D., when a Roger de Wudesfin was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire.
In short, the variants, spellings and similar surnames of Woodfin are Woodfinn, Woodfine, Woodfinne, Woodven, Wooding, Woodman, Woodham, Woodring, Woodhouse, Woodburn and Wudesfin. All of these surnames can be attributed to the same origin, Anglo-Saxon, and are primarily found in England, Scotland, and the United States.
Famous people with the name Woodfin
- Emma Woodfin: British actress
- Philip Woodfin: American playwright, stage director and writer
- J.B. Woodfin: former mayor of Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Alex Woodfin: former American soccer player
- James Woodfin: former NFL running back
- Sam Woodfin: former Major League Baseball pitcher
- Sidney Woodfin: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
- Jennette Woodfin: editor and publisher of Seventeen magazine
- Brandy Woodfin: American television personality
- Jessie Woodfin: American dancer and actress.