Explore the Family Name Woolley
The meaning of Woolley
1. English: habitational name from any of various places called with Old English wulf ‘wolf’ + lēah ‘wood, clearing’, such as Woolley (Huntingdonshire, Yorkshire), Woolley in Bovey Tracy (Devon), and Woolley in Bradford on Avon (Wiltshire). 2. Irish (Cavan): in Ireland, according to Woulfe, when this is not the English name, it has been adopted for Woulfe.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Woolley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Woolley has seen a slight decrease in ranking between 2000 and 2010, moving from 4888 to 5176, representing a change of -5.89%. However, the count of individuals with this last name increased by 2.29% during the same period, from 6598 to 6749. The proportion per 100k also decreased slightly by -6.53%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,888 | #5,176 | -5.89% |
| Count | 6,598 | 6,749 | 2.29% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.45 | 2.29 | -6.53% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Woolley
Looking at the ethnicity breakdown for the surname Woolley, as presented by the Decennial U.S. Census data, there have been notable changes between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, and Black increased by 38.64%, 40.99%, 38.73%, and 21.75% respectively. However, those identifying as White decreased by -2.33%, as did the American Indian and Alaskan Native category, which dropped by -2.00%. This suggests that while the surname Woolley remains predominantly associated with people of White ethnicity, there is a growing diversity within this surname group.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.65% | 90.49% | -2.33% |
| Black | 3.08% | 3.75% | 21.75% |
| Hispanic | 1.73% | 2.4% | 38.73% |
| Two or More Races | 1.61% | 2.27% | 40.99% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.61% | 38.64% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.5% | 0.49% | -2% |
Woolley 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 Woolley is British & Irish, which comprises 59.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.1%) and Scandinavian (3.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 59.0% |
| French & German | 22.1% |
| Scandinavian | 3.8% |
| Other | 15.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Woolley
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 Woolley have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
What Woolley 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 Woolley is I-L233, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-L233 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Terry, Glover, Howell, Lindsay, Meade, Woody, Newell, Harrison, Perry, Hawkins.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Woolley surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your 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 Woolley 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.
"Woolley" Surname 50.0%
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.
"Woolley" Surname 29.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Woolley" Surname 24.3%
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.
"Woolley" Surname 21.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Woolley?
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 Woolley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition