WOODRUFF
Woodruff is a surname of strictly English origin, first recorded in the British Isles. The name is derived from the Old English words wudu meaning “wood” and hrof meaning “roof”, a combination that indicates an occupational or locational connection with wooded land.
The etymology also includes a topographical element. In the pre‑7th century, the term wudurofe referred to the herb woodruff. Consequently, the surname could have originally described a person dwelling on a tract heavily vegetated with this plant, or served as a nickname for an individual who employed the scented leaves as perfume. The dual origin reflects the close relationship between people and their natural surroundings in early Anglo‑Saxon society.
The earliest extant documentary reference dates from the year 1185, when Hugo Wuderove appears on the Knight Templars List of Lincolnshire. This record occurs during the reign of King Henry II, who governed the realm from 1154 to 1189.
Subsequent medieval entries provide further confirmation of the name’s spread. In 1225 the Assize Court Rolls of Somerset record a Robert Woderove, while in 1273 the Subsidy Rolls of Lincolnshire list a Henry Woderoue. The variations in spelling – such as Woodroff, Woodroffe, Woodroof, Woodroofe, Woodrooffe, Woodrough, Woodruffe and Woodrup – illustrate the fluid orthography of the period.
The name has continued into the early modern era. On 7 May 1542 a John Woodroof was christened at St. Margaret's, Westminster, London. Later, on 15 July 1698, a Mary Woodruff was baptised at St. Olave's, Hart Street, also in London. These entries show the persistence of the surname within the Christian parish records of the capital.
In the 19th century, the surname crossed the Atlantic. An emigrant family headed by Anne Woodruffe, then aged 36, travelled from Liverpool to New York aboard the Fredonia in April 1846, accompanying her three daughters – Betsy (8 years), Ellen (5 years) and Sophia (1 year) – and her son William (3 years). The inclusion of the Woodruffe family in this voyage record is an early example of the name’s presence in North America.
Throughout its history, the Woodruff surname has remained a marker of geographic and occupational identity, rooted in the natural environment of England and preserved across centuries of documentary evidence.
Typical given names associated with the Woodruff surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Stephen
Female
- Anne
- Carol
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Joan
- Joanne
- Margaret
- Pamela
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
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 Woodruff in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 2,520 people named Woodruff in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,484th most common surname in Britain. Around 39 in a million people in Britain are named Woodruff.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Woodruff
- William Woodruff - Professor, historian, writer (1916 to 2008)
- Michael Woodruff - Surgeon and biologist; transplantation and cancer researcher (1911 to 2001)
- Bobby Woodruff - Football player
- Douglas Woodruff - Journalist and wit (1897 to 1978)
- D. P. Woodruff - Surface physicist
- Arthur Woodruff - Football player (1913 to 1983)
- Charlie Woodruff - Football player (1884 to 1943)
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.