Surname Woodmore - Meaning and Origin
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Woodmore: What does the surname Woodmore mean?
The last name Woodmore is of English origin and is a topographical surname derived from Old English. It was likely given to someone who lived in an area covered with a thick growth of trees, or “woodmore”. The surname likely developed from the combination of the Old English words “wudu” (wood) and “mōr” (moor).
As a locational name, Woodmore has been used to denote a person from any one of a number of places with the same name in England, such as Woodmore in Devon, Dorset, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, or Shropshire. It can also refer to those from the Woodmore area of Lancashire, which is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Wodemór".
Woodmore is a popular surname in England, with hundreds of bearers listed there in the 1881 census. The name can also be found scattered across Britain, as well as the United States and Canada.
Woodmore can also refer to a wooded area or the exploration of unexplored areas often associated with nature. It can be thought of to encompass and represent a sense of adventure and intimacy with the natural environment; of those who adapt to the changing forests and search for something valuable, be it life, knowledge, or a new discovery.
Order DNA origin analysisWoodmore: Where does the name Woodmore come from?
The last name Woodmore is most common in the United States. It is particularly prevalent in the South, with nearly 1,200 people named Woodmore living in Georgia, the majority of whom reside in Forsyth County. The surname is also popular within states such as Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Within England, people holding the last name Woodmore are concentrated in the counties of Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Warwickshire. These counties are located in the Midlands of England. There is a much smaller population of Woodmore's living in the United Kingdom compared to the United States, with a reported total population of 177 individuals in 2019.
Woodmore is also present in other countries throughout the world, albeit in low numbers. This includes New Zealand, Canada and Australia.
Overall, the Woodmore last name is most common in the United States, particularly in the Southern states of Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee, with a much smaller number of people with the surname living in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada and Australia.
Variations of the surname Woodmore
The surname Woodmore is derived from Old English pre-7th Century ‘Wudemore’, meaning ‘the moor or marshland by the wood’ and is often found in England, Scotland and Ireland.
Other variants of the surname Woodmore include Woodmere, Woodmoor, Woodmoree, Woodmorre, Woodmoor, Woodenore, Woodamoore, Woodmanior, Woodenyere, Woodamolic and Wuddermore.
Common spellings of the name range from Woodmore, Woodmoor, Woodenore, Woodmoor, Woodmoore and Woodmoree. Variations in spelling of the name occurred over time and thus the form of the surname may vary in different countries and regions.
Surnames with a similar origin but different spelling include Woddermoor, Wodemor, Wattamoor, Wootonmoor, Wittemore, Whitmore, Wittermoor, Widmore, Wydermoor and Wettemore.
The anglicized versions of Woodmore include the surnames Wooldridge, Woodridge and Wooldrige, which are derived from ‘weald’, meaning ‘wood’, and the suffix ‘-ridge’ indicating manor or residence.
In the United States, variants of the surname Woodmore often arise from the employment of immigrants from other countries. These variants include Wudemor, Wudemauer, Wudemer, Woodmur, Woodmatic, Wudemore and Woodemac.
It is also possible for the surnames Woodmore and Woodmoor to become corrupted over time, and for instance a form of Woodmore may become Woolling or Wooling. The spelling of the surname may also be simplified, resulting in a surname such as Wood or Woods.
Famous people with the name Woodmore
- Sally Woodmore: professional American Bowls player
- Graham Woodmore: Emmy winning television producer
- Leonard Woodmore: senior partner in a major law firm
- Nora Woodmore: Broadway actress
- Charles Woodmore: professional golfer
- Tony Woodmore: NFL sports announcer
- Ryan Woodmore: former MLB player
- Layla Woodmore: singer/songwriter
- Chris Woodmore: Olympic gold medalist swimmer
- Tom Woodmore: Emmy winning actor and producer