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Wood Family History

Wood Surname Meaning

English: mainly a topographic name for someone who lived in or by a wood from Middle English wode ‘wood’ (Old English wudu). In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages such as French Bois and Dubois and Polish Les . English: in a few cases a nickname for an eccentric or perhaps a violent person from Middle English wode ‘frenzied wild’ (Old English wōd). In some cases also an Americanized form of French Gadbois and Houde .

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

Similar surnames: Wool, Wold, Good, Hood, Woods, Root, Gold, Hoad, Woody, Look

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Where is the Wood family from?

You can see how Wood families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wood family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wood families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 1,592 Wood families living in New York. This was about 26% of all the recorded Wood's in USA. New York had the highest population of Wood families in 1840.

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

View Census Data for Wood

What did your Wood ancestors do for a living?

View Census Data for Wood | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Farmer
14%
Laborer
13%
Salesman
5%
Truck Driver
3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Housewife
7%
Housekeeper
6%
Teacher
6%
Clerk
5%

Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wood family records will you find?

Census Records
There are 3 million census records available for the last name Wood. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wood census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
Search US census records for Wood
Passenger Lists
There are 286,000 immigration records available for the last name Wood. 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.
View all Wood immigration records
Draft Cards
There are 440,000 military records available for the last name Wood. For the veterans among your Wood ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.
View all Wood military records

Census Records

There are 3 million census records available for the last name Wood. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wood census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Wood

Passenger Lists

There are 286,000 immigration records available for the last name Wood. 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.

View all Wood immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 440,000 military records available for the last name Wood. For the veterans among your Wood ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wood military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wood family history

Discover More

What is the average Wood lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Wood life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Wood in 1940 was 33, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wood

Browse profiles of historical people with the Wood last name