Show ContentsWoodall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Woodall family

The surname Woodall was first found in North Yorkshire at Woodale, a hamlet in Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales. The place name dates back to 1223 where it was listed as Wulvedale and literally meant "valley frequented by wolves." 1 Early Yorkshire records show Jordan de la Wodehalle recorded there c. 1265. In nearby Cumberland, John del Wodhall was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for 1332. 2

Alternatively, the family could have originated in Woodhall, a parish, in the union of Horncastle, S. division of the wapentake of Gartree, parts of Lindsey in Lincolnshire. Woodhall is also a hamlet in the parish of Harthill, union of Worksop, S. division of the wapentake of Strafforth and Tickhill in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 3

Of this branch, Peter de Wudehale was the first recorded. He was listed in the Lincolnshire Pipe Rolls for 1193. 2

Another source underlines this latter entry noting the name denotes "one who came from Woodale (wolves's valley), in Yorkshire; dweller at the hall by the wood. " 4

As far as other early entries in various rolls is concerned, The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Adam de Wodhall and the Howdenshire (now in the East Riding of Yorkshire) Poll Tax Rolls listed Matilda atte Wodhall there in 1379. 5

Another early record of the family was found in Surrey where Alice atte Wodehalle was recorded in 1332. 2

Early History of the Woodall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Woodall research. Another 44 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1556, 1591, 1599, 1627, 1628, 1633, 1641 and 1643 are included under the topic Early Woodall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Woodall Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Woodall, Woodhall, Woodhull and others.

Early Notables of the Woodall family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • John Woodall (1556?-1643), English surgeon, born about 1556, the son of Richard Woodall of Warwick and his wife Mary

Woodall Ranking

In the United States, the name Woodall is the 1,947th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 6


United States Woodall migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Woodall Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Henry Woodall, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 7
  • John and Thomas Woodall, who settled in Virginia in 1636
  • Thomas Woodall, who landed in Virginia in 1639 7
  • John Woodall, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1651 7
  • James Woodall, who landed in Maryland in 1677 7
Woodall Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Woodall, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1766
Woodall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George Woodall, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 7
  • Miss Woodall, aged 25, who arrived in America, in 1892
  • Mr. G.H. Woodall, aged 27, who arrived in America, in 1894
Woodall Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Joseph Woodall, aged 37, who arrived in America from Dudley, England, in 1907
  • Robert Woodall, aged 23, who arrived in America from Bradford, England, in 1907
  • Ethel Lucy Woodall, aged 50, who arrived in America from Birmingham, England, in 1907
  • Herbert Woodall, aged 7, who arrived in America from Dudley, England, in 1908
  • Clara Woodall, aged 34, who arrived in America from Dudley, England, in 1908
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Woodall migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Woodall Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Joseph Woodall, English convict who was convicted in Winchester, Hampshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Belgravia" on 4th April 1866, arriving in Western Australia 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Woodall (post 1700) +

  • Frank Alley "Al" Woodall (b. 1945), American NFL football player
  • David Bradley Woodall (b. 1969), American former Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Seth Woodall, American politician, Member of North Carolina House of Commons from Johnston County, 1862-63 9
  • Mrs. Ross Woodall, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1944 9
  • Paul A. Woodall, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1948 9
  • Howard Woodall, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1956 9
  • Darlene Woodall, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arkansas, 1996 9
  • Annie Woodall, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1936 9
  • Annabel Woodall, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Tennessee, 2008; Presidential Elector for Tennessee, 2012 9
  • Alfred Woodall, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Kings County 2nd District, 1935 9
  • ... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/belgravia
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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