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Woodrof is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from a family once having lived in Yorkshire. Their name, however, derives from the woodrofe plant, a white flower whose leaves bear a sweet scent. The name indicates that the original bearer lived in an area in which the woodrofe was common. 1
Alternatively, the name could have been derived from "Woodreve, the woodman, the forester of the Midland Counties." 1 2
The surname Woodrof was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat at Bolton upon Dearne, before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066. "The place became the residence of several families of some consideration, and seems to have been from early times a rich and flourishing spot." 3
The Hundredorum Rolls or 1273 proved the wide use of the name with early spellings throughout ancient England: John Woderove, Oxfordshire; Robert Woderove, Huntingdonshire; and Henry Woderove, Lincolnshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included and entry for Thomas Woderoue. 4
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Woodrof research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1551, 1554, 1574, 1638, 1646, 1656, 1660, 1669, 1672, 1679, 1685, 1711, 1734, 1766, 1768, 1803, 1807, 1821, 1824, 1830, 1841, 1851, 1852, 1855, 1856 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Woodrof History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Woodrof has been recorded under many different variations, including Woodrow, Woderove, Woodrof, Woodrofe, Wodrow, Woodroffe, Woodruff, Woodrufe and many more.
Notables of this surname at this time include:
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Woodrof or a variant listed above: