The Woolsey surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,949 people carried this name — #5,049 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 42,400 people counted. That is up 2% from 6,805 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Woolsey surname

Variant of Wolsey.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Woolsey» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Wulsi’.

An early record he cites: William Wulsi, Cambridgeshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 822 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

34 families named Woolsey, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 186 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 33
North Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 269 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Woolsey in American newspapers,
1904–1913.

Newspaper page from The Evening Statesman carrying the name Woolsey
The Evening Statesman 1906-04-09
Newspaper page from The Saratoga Sun carrying the name Woolsey
The Saratoga Sun 1904-11-24
Newspaper page from The Tacoma Times carrying the name Woolsey
The Tacoma Times 1913-02-05

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 70,399 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Woolsey in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

560 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Woolsey. The most, 122, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 277
Queensland 148
Victoria 69
South Australia 32
Western Australia 13
ACT (Canberra) 11
Tasmania 8

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Woolsey.

Who carried it

People named Woolsey,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Woolsey d. 1738
  • Frances Woolsey d. 1870
  • Mary Anne Woolsey d. 1865
  • Elizabeth Lucy Willis d. 1870
  • Frances Rose Vesey d. 1865
  • Anna Walsham d. 1905

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Woolsey,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States731 records

731 records of the Woolsey name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 268
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 238
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 114
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 64
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 20
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 17
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 5
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 2
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James E. Woolsey

    Born 1922 in Illinois. Enlisted 1942 at Evansville, Indiana; salesperson. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1998, buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Indiana.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Lowell W. Woolsey

    Born 1932; from Los Angeles County, California. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; killed in action 1951 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ann Woolsey

    Arrived at New York in 1850 aboard the New World from Liverpool, aged 20; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 731 records for Woolsey in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia32 records

32 records of the Woolsey name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 11
  • Tasmanian Names Index 8
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 7
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 4
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 2
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record George Woolsey

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Anson, sailing from Plymouth in 1843. Native of Northwold, Norfolk.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henrietta Woolsey

    Arrived in Victoria in 1860 aboard the Owen Glendower, aged 22; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Thomas R. Woolsey

    Former rway employee of Malvern East, Victoria; died 1939.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 32 records for Woolsey in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada16 records

16 records of the Woolsey name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 6
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 4
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 2
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 1
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record George Woolsey

    Buried in 1971 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 40.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Robert Garnet Woolsey

    Died 1974 in East Jeddore, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 52.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record John Henry Wall Woolsey

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 16 records for Woolsey in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the Woolsey name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Catherine Sarah Woolsey

    Died 1904, aged 60; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Charles Woolsey

    Died 1999, aged 75; buried at Lyttelton Catholic Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Robert Woolsey

    Died 1897, aged 23; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom1 record

1 record of the Woolsey name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Woolsey

    Northumberland Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Woolsey.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Woolsey 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.

See the Woolsey volume
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