Surname Woody - Meaning and Origin

From Medieval England to the World: A DNA Discovery of the Woody Lineage

Embarking on a quest to discover my familial roots and the origins of the Woody surname with iGENEA's DNA analysis service, I discovered the richness of my lineage. Tracing back to Medieval England, the Woody family turned out to be nature-lovers, with an adventurous streak that lead them across the globe.

O. Woody

Woody: What does the surname Woody mean?

The last name Woody is of English origin and is derived from the Old English words wordig and wudu, meaning 'clearing in the woods'. The surname can be traced back to the family who held the land on which the clearing was located.

This name was particularly common in northern England and Scotland in medieval times as a result of the growth of settlements in those areas and the abundance of woodlands. Initially, the name Woody may have been adopted to distinguish a man who lived in or near a wood from those living in nearby villages. It is also likely that the Woody family may have developed a craft related to woodworking, such as carpentry.

The Woody family or clans may have originated from Scotland, England, Ireland, or Wales. During the 11th century, the name Woody was taken to various parts of the British Isles and beyond, and is still found in England, Scotland, and Ireland. There are many variations of the Woody name, such as Wood, Woodd, Woodey, and Woode.

Today, the name Woody is still a popular surname in several countries, particularly in Britain and Ireland. There are many notable famous people who share the name Woody, including the famous American film director and actor Woody Allen, and American singer-songwriter and actor Woody Guthrie.

Woody: Where does the name Woody come from?

The last name Woody is common throughout the United States. It is most commonly found in the Southern and Midwestern states of the U.S., including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia. It is also found in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. The states of California, Arizona, and Louisiana also have a high concentration of Woody families.

The Woody surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is derived from the Old English word 'wudu', meaning 'wood' or 'a keeper of wood'. It is believed that the name was first used as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a wooded area.

In the 1880 U.S. Census, the Woody surname was the 369th most common surname in the country. Today, it is still a relatively common surname and is ranked as the 564th most popular surname in the U.S. According to Ancestry.com's 2019 U.S. Census data, the Woody surname is most common in the state of Georgia, where there are over 1,500 people with the surname. It is also highly concentrated in the states of Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama.

The Woody surname can also be found throughout the United Kingdom, mostly in the counties of Lancashire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire. In Scotland, it is found in the East Ayrshire region. Today, the Woody surname is a globally shared surname, with families in Canada, Australia, and other countries.

Variations of the surname Woody

Woody is an English surname of patronymic origin, derived from the Middle English personal name "Wood", which is a nickname derived from Old English wudu meaning "wood". It is also can be derived from the Old Germanic name Wodwulf, which meant "wolf in the woods".

Variants of Woody include:

Woode

Woodey

Woodi

Woodie

Woody

Spellings of Woody include:

Wood

Woodd

Woodde

Wooddi

Wooddie

Wooddy

Surnames of the same origin as Woody include:

Atwood

Dulwood

Vicwood

Woodall

Woodbourne

Woodburn

Wooddell

Woodford

Woodhouse

Woodison

Woodland

Woodman

Woodruff

Woods

Woodward

Woodword

Woodworth

Famous people with the name Woody

• Woody Allen: an American actor, comedian, filmmaker and writer who is known for writing, directing and starring in films such as Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Midnight in Paris.
• Woody Harrelson: an American actor and playwright known for his roles in Cheers, Natural Born Killers, The People vs. Larry Flynt, and Zombieland.
• Woody Guthrie: an American folk singer who wrote hundreds of songs about social justice, labor struggles, and civil rights. He has been called the father of American folk music.
• Woody Johnson: the owner of the New York Jets NFL team.
• Woody Paige: an American sports journalist and television personality whose long career has included hosting ESPN’s Around the Horn and contributing to The Breakfast Club morning radio show.
• Woody Strode: an American athlete and actor known for roles in Spartacus, Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and Black Fox: The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler. He was the first black actor to receive star billing in a major western.
• Woody Shaw: an American jazz trumpeter and composer who played with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and other major jazz artists of the 1960s.
• Woody Williams: an American retired Major League Baseball pitcher who was a four-time All-Star and won the National League Cy Young Award in 1999.

Other surnames

WoodWoodallWoodardWoodBerryWoodbridgeWoodburnWoodburyWoodbyWoodcockWoodcoxWooddallWooddyWoodellWoodenWoodersonWoodeyWoodfieldWoodfinWoodfolkWoodfordWoodforkWoodgateWoodhallWoodhamWoodhamsWoodheadWoodhouseWoodhullWoodieWoodin