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Woodward Family History

Woodward Surname Meaning

English: occupational name for a forester employed to look after the trees and game in a forest.

Middle English woodward (from Old English wudu ‘wood’ + weard ‘guardian protector’).

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


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Where is the Woodward family from?

You can see how Woodward families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Woodward family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Woodward families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 358 Woodward families living in Ontario. This was about 48% of all the recorded Woodward's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Woodward families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Woodward 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 Woodward ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Woodward. 33% of Woodward men worked as a Farmer and 16% of Woodward women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Woodward were Laborer and Student.

View Census Data for Woodward | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    33%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Carpenter
    5%
  • Laborer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    16%
  • Teacher
    12%
  • Income
    12%
  • Student
    10%

What Woodward family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 503,000 census records available for the last name Woodward. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Woodward census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Woodward

Passenger Lists

There are 43,000 immigration records available for the last name Woodward. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Woodward immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 71,000 military records available for the last name Woodward. For the veterans among your Woodward ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Woodward military records

You've only scratched the surface of Woodward family history

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What is the average Woodward lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Woodward life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Woodward in 1943 was 57, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Woodward

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Woodward 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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