Woodard Family History

Woodard Surname Meaning

English: from the Norman Old French personal name Odard Udard Middle English Wodard Wudard. It derives from the ancient Germanic name Authard Othard Odard composed of the elements aud- ‘riches' + hard- ‘hard bold’.

Occupational name from Middle English wode ‘wood’ + herde ‘herd’ (Old English wudu + hierde) for a person who tended animals pastured in woodland.

Post-medieval pronunciation of Woodward.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Woodward, Woolard, Godard, Wollard, Goodart, Goddard, Woodyard, Woollard, Woodhall, Coard

956,000 record(s) for Woodard

274K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
33K	Military Records
5K	Immigration Records
170K	Census and Voter Lists
472K	Member Trees

Where is the Woodard family from?

You can see how Woodard families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Woodard family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Woodard families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 173 Woodard families living in New York. This was about 26% of all the recorded Woodard's in USA. New York had the highest population of Woodard families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Woodard surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Woodard ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Woodard. 22% of Woodard men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Woodard women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Woodard were Farming and Cook.

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Farmer

22%

Laborer

21%

Truck driver

4%

Farming

4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Maid

9%

Housekeeper

9%

Housewife

7%

Cook

7%

What Woodard family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 170K census records available for the last name Woodard. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Woodard census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 5K immigration records available for the last name Woodard. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

Military Records

There are 33K military records available for the last name Woodard. For the veterans among your Woodard ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Woodard lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Woodard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Woodard in 1941 was 53, and 72 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Woodard ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.