Explore the Family Name Woodford
The meaning of Woodford
English and Scottish: habitational name from any of various places called with Old English wudu ‘wood’ + ford ‘ford’, such as Woodford in Cheshire, Cornwall, Essex, Northamptonshire, and Wiltshire. In Scotland, the name is derived from Woodford in Saint Boswells (Roxburghshire). History: Thomas Woodford emigrated from Lincolnshire, England, to NY in 1690.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Woodford in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Woodford saw a slight dip in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 6,474th in the United States, but by 2010, it had fallen to 6,757th, marking a -4.37 percent change. However, the actual count of people with the Woodford surname increased during this time period, rising from 4,838 in 2000 to 4,989 in 2010, which represents a 3.12 percent growth. The proportion of people named Woodford per 100,000 residents also declined slightly, from 1.79 to 1.69, a decrease of -5.59 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,474 | #6,757 | -4.37% |
| Count | 4,838 | 4,989 | 3.12% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.79 | 1.69 | -5.59% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Woodford
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Woodford also shifted somewhat between 2000 and 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. While the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White in both census years (78.67% in 2000 and 76.37% in 2010), there was a noticeable increase in Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic representation. The percentage of Woodfords identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander nearly doubled, jumping from 0.31% to 0.60%, while those identifying as Hispanic rose from 1.24% to 2.26%. Representation among those identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable, with only minor changes observed.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 78.67% | 76.37% | -2.92% |
| Black | 17.65% | 17.72% | 0.4% |
| Two or More Races | 1.65% | 2.43% | 47.27% |
| Hispanic | 1.24% | 2.26% | 82.26% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.48% | 0.62% | 29.17% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.31% | 0.6% | 93.55% |
Woodford ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Woodford is British & Irish, which comprises 50.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.3%) and Scandinavian (7.7%). Additional ancestries include Finnish, Nigerian, Italian, Eastern European, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.6% |
| French & German | 19.3% |
| Scandinavian | 7.7% |
| Other | 22.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Woodford
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Woodford have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 81.70% |
| South Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 81.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.70% |
What Woodford haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Woodford is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M467 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Rolfe, Legg, Peel, Sanderson, Sexton, Padgett, Boston, Qualls, Saul, O'Neal.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Woodford surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Woodford have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Woodford" Surname 45.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Woodford" Surname 21.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Vitamin Use
Takes vitamins on a regular basis.
"Woodford" Surname 45.5%
23andMe Users 45.5%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Woodford" Surname 12.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Woodford?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Woodford are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition