Surname Woolford - Meaning and Origin

Woolford: What does the surname Woolford mean?

The surname Woolford is an English toponymic surname believed to be derived from Woolley, a name that may be derived from the Old English terms wulf, meaning “wolf”, and leah, meaning “woodland clearing”. It is believed that the Woolford surname refers to an individual who lived near or came from the town of Woolley, usually found in the counties of Berkshire, Devon, Hampshire, and Wiltshire.

The Woolford surname may have been derived from other names in the neighboring counties. It could have been taken on due to a recent emigration to those areas, or to distinguish between someone who was living in the same area but had a different family name.

The surname may also have derived from the name of the Woolford parish, a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, which first appeared in the Assize Rolls of 1219 and in the Feet of Fines of 1230.

The use of the Woolford surname dates back to the 13th century in England, when William de Wulvedya was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire. As the surname was spread throughout the British Isles, its spelling may have changed some over time, such as Woolford, Woolfard, Wolford, and Woolverd.

The Woolford surname is still found throughout the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada today. It is not uncommon to find individuals bearing a Woolford surname in both the United States and Canada who are direct descendants of those first recorded bearing the name, as well as more recent immigrants to those countries.

Woolford: Where does the name Woolford come from?

The last name Woolford is most commonly found in the United States. According to the U.S. Census records from 2020, there are about 5,000 people who share the last name Woolford living in the United States. The majority of those people live in California, with around 1,500. Texas, Florida, and New York also have large populations of Woolford’s living there.

Outside the United States, the Woolford name is less common but can be found in other countries. Canada is home to a few hundred Woolfords, primarily in Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Alberta. In the United Kingdom, there are about 200 Woolfords living primarily in England. Ireland and Scotland each have their share of Woolfords, with a combined total of around 75.

Australia has the highest concentration of Woolfords outside of the United States. There are close to 800 Woolfords living in the country, with most of them being in New South Wales and Victoria.

Overall, the Woolford surname is most common in the United States, with some concentration in other English-speaking countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland, and Australia.

Variations of the surname Woolford

The surname Woolford is a habitational surname, derived from the place name Woolford in Worcestershire. Throughout the centuries the name has changed many times and there are a variety of spellings and variants of the surname.

The most common variants of the surname Woolford are Woolforth, Woolferd, Woolverd, and Wulford. These variants are all derived from the Middle English words ‘wool’ and ‘ford’, which refer to a shallow crossing of a river made of wool. There are also a few rare variants of the surname such as Woolferd, Waleford, Ulford, and Uwelford, which all have the same etymological roots as the more common spellings.

The surname Woolford is mainly found in England, particularly in Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Other countries with a strong presence of the surname include Canada, the United States, and Australia.

In the United States, many of the surnames descendents use the Woolverd spelling, while in Canada the Woolfords, Woolverd, and Woolfurther are seen most often. In Australia, Woolford is the most commonly seen spelling.

Other variants are less commonly seen, such as Woolcocks, Woolfits, Woolbrights, and Woolridges. All of these variant spellings can be traced back to the original Woolford surname, and all are derived from the same etymological roots.

Famous people with the name Woolford

• William Woolford (1758-1821): An American officer in the Continental Army and later the commissioner of the General Land Office.
• John Pope Woolford (1777-1845): An American naval officer active during the War of 1812.
• John Edwin Woolford Jr. (1891-1979): An American illustrator and author, who is best known for illustrating children's books.
• Charles J. Woolford Jr. (1915-2009): An American politician who served as Pennsylvania’s state treasurer from 1951 to 1959 in the Democratic Party.
• Raymond Woolford (1916-2009): An English professional footballer who played as an outside right in the English Football League.
• Robert Woolford (1904-1996): An American radio broadcaster best known for his broadband show "Breakfast in Hollywood", which was broadcasted from 1945 to 1951.
• Rebecca Woolford (1905-1987): An American silent film actress, born in California who was active from 1915 to 1926.
• Fetiye Woolford (1910-2001): An American artist, who rose to prominence with her works depicting everyday scenes in rural Virginia.
• Bruce Woolford (1971-present): An American born professional football player who played in the National Football League (NFL).
• Lawrence S. Woolford (1914-present): An American academic and a specialist in political geography and international relations.

Other surnames

WoolfolkWoolfork