Show ContentsWooding History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Wooding family

The surname Wooding was first found in various counties and shires throughout ancient Britain. The name literally means "dweller at the wood-meadow" from the Old English "wudu" + Old Norse "eng", meaning "meadow." 1 Another source claims the name means "dweller at a clearing or place where wood has been cut." 2

One source claims the name was actually Norman as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Ranulph Waudin in Normandy in 1198 3 and another claims the name is more probably derived from Wooden, in the parish of Kelso, co. Roxburgh, Scotland. 4

The first record of the family was found in Bedfordshire where William Woding was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1247. A few years later, Richard atte Woding was listed in Worcestershire in 1294. 5

Early History of the Wooding family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wooding research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Wooding History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wooding Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wooding, Woodin, Woodington and others.

Early Notables of the Wooding family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • the Wooding family of Essex and later by Ulster

Wooding Ranking

In the United States, the name Wooding is the 18,378th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6


United States Wooding migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wooding Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Robert Wooding, who arrived in Maryland in 1679 7

Canada Wooding migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wooding Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Edward Wooding, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Elizabeth Wooding, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Mary Wooding, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Richard Wooding, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Thomas Wooding, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Wooding Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Stephen Wooding, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1841

Australia Wooding migration to Australia +

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

Wooding Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • John Wooding, aged 28, a shoemaker, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Brankenmoor" 8
  • Jane Wooding, aged 25, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Brankenmoor" 8
  • Mary A. Wooding, aged 25, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Brankenmoor" 8
  • John Wooding, aged 28, a shoemaker, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Branken Moor" in 1849 8
  • Charlotte Wooding, aged 28, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Branken Moor" in 1849 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Wooding migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Wooding Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Wooding, (b. 1832), aged 24, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 9
  • Mr. Joseph Wooding, (b. 1838), aged 18, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 9
  • Mr. John Wooding, (b. 1857), aged 1 year 3 months, English settler from Turvey travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st September 1858 10
  • Mr. Henry Wooding, (b. 1820), aged 38, English agricultrual labourer from Turvey travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st September 1858 10
  • Mrs. Sarah Wooding, (b. 1822), aged 36, English settler from Turvey travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st September 1858 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Wooding (post 1700) +

  • Geoffrey Wooding (1954-2010), Boston architect
  • Sam Wooding (1895-1985), American jazz pianist, arranger and bandleader
  • Lisa Marie Wooding (b. 1979), English gold and two-time bronze medalist field hockey defender
  • Sir Norman Wooding CBE (1927-2005), British industrialist and chemist
  • Chris Wooding (b. 1977), British writer from Leicester
  • Liam Wooding (b. 1993), Australian footballer from Adelaide

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. William Harry Wooding, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 11
  • Mr. H Wooding, British Stoker 2nd Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 11


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  4. Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  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. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The BRANKEN MOOR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849BrankenMoor.htm
  9. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html


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