Explore the Family Name Woody
The meaning of Woody
English: 1. from Middle English wode ‘wood’ + heie ‘enclosure’ (Old English wudu + (ge)hæg). The surname may be topographic, for someone who lived by an enclosure in a wood, or habitational, for a person from a place so named, such as Woodhey Green in Faddiley (Cheshire). Also possibly from East Woodhay (Hampshire) and West Woodhay (Berkshire), apparently named with Old English wīd ‘wide, broad’ as the initial element, confused with early Old English widu ‘wood’, and so too with Old English wudu. 2. nickname from Middle English wodi or some other derivative of Middle English wode ‘frenzied, wild’ (Old English wōd), perhaps formed on the analogy of, for example, Middle English mody (see Moody). Compare Wood 2.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Woody in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Woody experienced a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, Woody was ranked 1,825th in terms of popularity and this rank dropped to 1,960th by 2010, showing a decrease of 7.4%. However, the actual count of people with this surname marginally increased from 18,069 to 18,434 during the same period, indicating a growth rate of 2.02%. The proportion of the population with the Woody surname per 100,000 also decreased slightly by 6.72% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,825 | #1,960 | -7.4% |
| Count | 18,069 | 18,434 | 2.02% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.7 | 6.25 | -6.72% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Woody
In reference to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census provides some changes within the Woody surname bearers between 2000 and 2010. There was an increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic, at 51.85% and 52.31% respectively. Those claiming an identity of two or more races also saw a rise of 21.76%. On the other hand, there was a small decline of 1.73% among those identifying as White, and a marginal decrease of 0.72% among those identifying as Black. American Indian and Alaskan Native identities experienced a moderate growth of 4.97%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 75.33% | 74.03% | -1.73% |
| Black | 16.56% | 16.44% | -0.72% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 4.83% | 5.07% | 4.97% |
| Two or More Races | 1.7% | 2.07% | 21.76% |
| Hispanic | 1.3% | 1.98% | 52.31% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.27% | 0.41% | 51.85% |
Woody 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 Woody is British & Irish, which comprises 56.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.8%) and Nigerian (3.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Indigenous American, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.6% |
| French & German | 22.8% |
| Nigerian | 3.6% |
| Other | 17.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Woody
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 Woody have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
What Woody 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 Woody 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-L2 and I-L233, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Murdock, Robert, Ash, Collazo, Perry, Craig, England, Glover, Howell, Owen.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Woody 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 Woody 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.
"Woody" Surname 41.7%
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.
"Woody" Surname 20.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Woody" Surname 34.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Woody" Surname 18.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Woody?
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 Woody are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition