WOODHALL
Woodhall is an English surname that can be traced back to Old English roots, where the components wudu meaning “wood” and healh meaning “nook” or “corner” combine to signify a place situated in a wooded retreat.
The name is locational in nature and denotes that the original bearer resided near or within a wooded nook. It is one of the earliest recorded surnames in England, with the first documented spelling belonging to Peter de Wudehale, who appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1193 during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart.
In the mid‑thirteenth century further early examples appear, such as Jordan de la Wodehale in the Yorkshire Subsidy Rolls of 1265 and John de Wodhall in the Cumbria Rolls of 1332. The surname is preserved in subsequent centuries, for example Thomas Woodhall, son of Johannis Woodhall, who was christened at Howden in Yorkshire on 15 August 1547, and Humfrey Woodhall, son of John and Sarah, who was baptised at St Benets, Pauls Wharf, London on 5 January 1623. An entry in 1798 records Elizabeth Woodhall’s marriage to William Olerenshaw at Manchester Cathedral on 27 May.
The recorded variants of the surname are numerous. These include Woodall, Woodhull, Wudhalh, Wudhall, Woldhall, Woolhall, Woolhalle, Woolhalla and Wood-Hull, among others. Some permutations have evolved into more distinct family names such as Woolfall, Woolfel, Woolvett, and WCouldwell, which are considered derivatives of the original Woodhall form.
Coat‑of‑arms bearings associated with the Woodhall lineage are described as gold, with three red crescents, and a crest comprising a gold coronet, symbolising triumph over the infidel Turks.
In the United Kingdom the surname remains common in various regions, most especially in Yorkshire where five documented villages or hamlets named Woodhall exist. The name’s association with Hertfordshire is also noted, where a village of the same name still survives today. It is believed that early bearers may have lived near a prominent manor or hall, giving rise to the second element of the surname.
Through emigration, the surname spread to the United States beginning in the late eighteenth century. It is now among the most frequent surnames in Ohio, particularly the Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland areas, as well as being well represented in Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Virginia and West Virginia. Individuals bearing this name have contributed to various fields, including business, art, entertainment, sports and politics, thereby sustaining the surname’s presence and reputation across the Atlantic world.
Typical given names associated with the Woodhall surname
Male
- Andrew
- Brian
- Chris
- Christopher
- David
- Duncan
- Gary
- John
- Jon
- Mark
- Martin
- Michael
- Robert
- Simon
Female
- Carol
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Margaret
- Natasha
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Sandra
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Woodhall in...
Braille
⠺⠕⠕⠙⠓⠁⠇⠇
Morse
.---------.......-.-...-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 2,105 people named Woodhall in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,026th most common surname in Britain. Around 32 in a million people in Britain are named Woodhall.
Famous people named Woodhall
- Richie Woodhall - Boxer
- Norrie Woodhall - Stage actress (1905 to 2011)
- George Woodhall - Football player (1863 to 1924)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.