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Woodhead Family History

Woodhead Surname Meaning

English (Yorkshire): from Middle English wode ‘wood’ + hed hedde ‘head’ (Old English wudu + hēafod). The surname may be topographic for someone who lived at or near the top or edge of a wood or habitational from one of the many places so named such as Wood Head in Barkisland (Yorkshire).

Woodhead in Tintwistle (Cheshire) or Woodhead in Great Casterton (Rutland).

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


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Where is the Woodhead family from?

You can see how Woodhead families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Woodhead family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Woodhead families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 3,546 Woodhead families living in Yorkshire. This was about 60% of all the recorded Woodhead's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Woodhead families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Woodhead surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Woodhead ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Woodhead. 12% of Woodhead men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Woodhead women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Woodhead were Dyers Labourer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Woodhead | Data not to scale

*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 1939

  • General Labourer
    12%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Retired
    3%
  • Dyers Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Woodhead family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 114,000 census records available for the last name Woodhead. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Woodhead census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Woodhead

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Woodhead. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Woodhead immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Woodhead. For the veterans among your Woodhead ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Woodhead military records

You've only scratched the surface of Woodhead family history

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What is the average Woodhead lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Woodhead life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Woodhead in 1960 was 47, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Woodhead

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Woodhead 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.

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