The Woods surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 177,425 people carried this name — #144 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 1,660 people counted. That is up 5% from 168,814 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Woods surname
A topographic surname from Middle English, variant of Wood. Possibly patronymic.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Woods» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 137 births for the Woods name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 6,100 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 107 people named Woods live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Santa Fe.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
74 people named Woods live in Switzerland.
They live in 8 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 62 people named Woods.
Most of them — 51 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 7 départements, most often Meurthe-et-Moselle.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Poland’s population register
22 people named Woods have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 86 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 5 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 21 people named Woods live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Flemish Brabant.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
111 people named Woods are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Woods in American newspapers,
1891–1949.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 9,770,839 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Woods,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Henry Woods 1764–1826 · lawyer -
Joseph Woods 1776–1864 · architect -
Albert Woods 1816–1904 · officer of arms -
William Burnham Woods 1824–1887 · judge -
George Lemuel Woods 1832–1890 · judge
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 164 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Woods.
- Wolski 1,965 · U.S. census
- Wolter 4,511 · U.S. census
- Wong 111,371 · U.S. census
- Wonner 130 · U.S. census
- Woock 240 · U.S. census
- Wood 250,715 · U.S. census
- Woog 155 · U.S. census
- Worms 298 · U.S. census
- Wormser 282 · U.S. census
- Wos 446 · U.S. census
- Wourms 191 · U.S. census
- Wouters 412 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Woods is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.