The name Woddrow has a long
Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family 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.
Early Origins of the Woddrow family
The surname Woddrow was first found in
Yorkshire where they held a
family seat at Bolton on Deane, before and after the
Norman Conquest in 1066.
Early History of the Woddrow family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Woddrow research.
Another 195 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1554, 1574, 1551, 1768, 1679 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Woddrow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Woddrow Spelling Variations
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few
hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Woddrow have been found, including Woodrow, Woderove, Woodrof, Woodrofe, Wodrow, Woodroffe, Woodruff, Woodrufe and many more.
Early Notables of the Woddrow family (pre 1700)
Another 19 words (1 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Woddrow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Woddrow family to Ireland
Some of the Woddrow family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Woddrow family to the New World and Oceana
Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in
England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in
England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Woddrow, or a variant listed above: John Woodruff, who arrived in Lynn, MA in 1640; Matthew Woodruff, who arrived in Hartford, CT in 1640;Robert and Richard Woodruffe settled in Virginia in 1643.