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Woodson Family History

Woodson Surname Meaning

English (Yorkshire): habitational name for someone from Woodsome (a lost place in Batley), Woodsome in Farnley Tyas, or Wothersome, all in Yorkshire. The placenames derive from Old English wudu ‘wood’ + hūsum, dative plural of hūs ‘house’.

English (Yorkshire): from the Middle English personal name Ode, Odd(e) + son, with the addition of initial W-, a characteristic dialect feature in the south of Yorkshire.

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


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Where is the Woodson family from?

You can see how Woodson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Woodson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Woodson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 91 Woodson families living in Yorkshire. This was about 46% of all the recorded Woodson's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Woodson families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Woodson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Woodson ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Cotton Spinner and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Woodson. 100% of Woodson men worked as a Cotton Spinner and 75% of Woodson women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Woodson | 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

  • Cotton Spinner
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Domestic Servant
    13%
  • Private Means
    8%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dutie
    5%

What Woodson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 72,000 census records available for the last name Woodson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Woodson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Woodson

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Woodson. 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 Woodson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Woodson. For the veterans among your Woodson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Woodson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Woodson family history

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What is the average Woodson lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Woodson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Woodson in 1941 was 42, and 73 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Woodson 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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