WOODROFFE
The surname Woodroffe is of English origin and is traditionally regarded as a topographic name derived from the Old‑English words wudu meaning “wood” and rofe meaning “clearing”. In this sense the name would have been applied to an individual who lived in or near a clearing within a wooded area.
Some historical accounts present an alternative derivation, suggesting that the name may stem from the pre‑7th Century word wudurofe, a compound meaning “woodruff”. This interpretation aligns with later references to the name as a nickname for a person who used woodruff as a perfume because of its strongly scented leaves. The earliest known spelling, Wuderove, appears in the 1185 “Knight Templars List of Lincolnshire” during the reign of King Henry XI.
Subsequent documentary evidence dates from the early 13th century. Records show a “Robert Woderove” in the 1225 Assize Court Rolls of Somerset and a “Henry Woderoue” in the 1273 Subsidy Rolls of Lincolnshire. The surname also occurs in the 1273 “Hundred Rolls” of Buckinghamshire, where a “Thomas de Woodroffe” is documented. In the 16th and 17th centuries the name is recorded in parish registers: a “John Woodroof” was christened on 7 May 1542 at St. Margaret’s, Westminster, London, and a “Mary Woodruff” was christened on 15 July 1698 at St. Olave’s, Hart Street, London.
During the 19th century the Woodroffe family emigrated to North America. A notable example is “Anne Woodruffe”, age 36, who departed Liverpool for New York aboard the “Fredonia” in April 1846 with her three daughters and son. The surname’s spread to other parts of the world, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand, has made it a far‑reaching geographic marker.
All modern variants of the surname are believed to have arisen from regional pronunciations and the transcription practices of clerks over the centuries. Common variants listed in contemporary sources include Woodroff, Woodruff, Woodruffe, Woodrosse, Woodrofts, Woodrofte, Woodris, Woodright and Woodriff. These spellings reflect dialectal differences and, in some cases, Americanisation of the original English form.
In the present day the surname is most frequently found in the United Kingdom, with about forty‑five per cent of bearers residing in England. The south‑west of England shows the highest concentration, followed by the West Midlands, London, the North West and Yorkshire & The Humber. Outside the UK the name is rare, with only a few hundred individuals recorded in Canada, the United States and Australia.
Although the surname has at times been repurposed as a first name in modern popular culture, its historical roots lie firmly in an English topographic context, reflecting the landscape of the people who originally carried the name Woodroffe.
Typical given names associated with the Woodroffe surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Brian
- Chris
- Christopher
- David
- Ian
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Philip
- Stephen
Female
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- 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 Woodroffe in...
Braille
⠺⠕⠕⠙⠗⠕⠋⠋⠑
Morse
.---------...-.---..-...-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,036 people named Woodroffe in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,169th most common surname in Britain. Around 16 in a million people in Britain are named Woodroffe.
Famous people named Woodroffe
- Simon Woodroffe - Businessman
- John Woodroffe - Orientalist (1865 to 1936)
- Patrick Woodroffe - Artist (1940 to 2014)
- Alfred Woodroffe - Cricketer (1918 to 1964)
- Lorna Woodroffe - Tennis player
- Martyn Woodroffe - Swimmer, Olympic silver medallist
- Sidney Woodroffe - Victoria Cross recipient (1895 to 1915)
- Lew Woodroffe - Professional football player (1921 to 1)
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.