Show ContentsWoodberry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Woodberry family

The surname WoodBerry was first found in Devon at Woodbury, a parish, and formerly a market-town, in the union of St. Thomas, hundred of East Budleigh. [1]

The name is derived from the Old English word Wodebif meaning "the Stronghold by or in the Wood [Old English wudu + burh, burg (dat. byrig] " [2]

Alternatively, the name could have originated in Woodborough, a parish, in the union of Basford, S. division of the wapentake of Thurgarton in Nottinghamshire. There is also a hamlet so named in Somerset and a parish named Woodborough in Wiltshire. [3]

Nottinghamshire is the place where the family were first recorded for it is here that Ralph de Wudeburc was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1194. Years later, John de Wodeburgh was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1324. [4]

Early History of the Woodberry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Woodberry research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Woodberry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Woodberry Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Woodbery, Woodbury, Woddisbery, Woodisberry, Woodberry, Woddisberry, Woodburry, Woodborough, Woodborgh, Woddisbro, Woodbro, Wodeburg, Wodebury, Woodburgh, Woodbough, Woodberg and many more.

Early Notables of the Woodberry family

More information is included under the topic Early Woodberry Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Woodberry Ranking

In the United States, the name Woodberry is the 11,123rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [5]


United States WoodBerry migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Woodberry Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Hugh Woodberry, who arrived in Maryland in 1669 [6]
Woodberry Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George A. Woodberry, arrived in New York in 1892 aboard the ship "Servia" from Liverpool, England [7]
Woodberry Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mrs. B. E. Woodberry, aged 30, arrived in New York in 1905 aboard the ship "Philadelphia" from Cherbourg, France [7]
  • Frances Woodberry, aged 21, destined for Atlanta, Ga., arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Graf Waldersee" from Brest, France [7]
  • Clara Woodberry, aged 58, destined for Beverly, Mass, arrived in New York City, New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Fort Hamilton" from Hamilton, Bermuda [7]
  • Robert William Woodberry, aged 30, destined for Mount Vernon, N.Y., arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Olympic" from Southampton, England [7]

Australia Woodberry migration to Australia +

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

Woodberry Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Woodberry, (b. 1817), aged 27, English farmer who was convicted in Somerset, England for 15 years for malicious wounding, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 25th January 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island), he died in 1903 [8]

Contemporary Notables of the name WoodBerry (post 1700) +

  • Billy Woodberry (b. 1984), American director, best known for directing Bless Their Little Hearts
  • Terry Woodberry (b. 1963), former English-born, American soccer midfielder, member of the US Futsal National Team in 1992
  • Dr. J Dudley Woodberry (b. 1934), American dean emeritus and senior professor of missions at Fuller Theological Seminary School of World Missions
  • Steve Woodberry (b. 1971), retired American basketball player who played professionally in the Australian National Basketball League
  • Barry D. Woodberry, American ionospheric physicist with the South Pole Station winter party, 1966, eponym of the Woodberry Glacier, Antarctica
  • George Edward Woodberry Litt. D., LL. D. (1855-1930), American literary critic and poet
  • London Woodberry (b. 1991), American soccer player who played for the United States U18 National Team in 2009
  • Dennis Earl Woodberry (b. 1961), American former NFL football cornerback who played from 1984 to 1988
  • Doctor Joan Merle Woodberry AM (d. 2010), Australian author and teacher


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. 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)
  7. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian


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