The name Wodruff is an old
Anglo-Saxon name. It 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 Wodruff family
The surname Wodruff 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 Wodruff family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wodruff research.
Another 195 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1554, 1574, 1551, 1768, 1679 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Wodruff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Wodruff Spelling Variations
Before the last few
hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason,
spelling variations are commonly found in early
Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Wodruff were recorded, including Woodrow, Woderove, Woodrof, Woodrofe, Wodrow, Woodroffe, Woodruff, Woodrufe and many more.
Early Notables of the Wodruff family (pre 1700)
Another 19 words (1 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wodruff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Wodruff family to Ireland
Some of the Wodruff 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 Wodruff family to the New World and Oceana
To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from
England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Wodruff family emigrate to North America: 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.