Show ContentsWoolf History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient name Woolf is a Norman name that would have been developed in England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. This name is thought to have evolved from a nickname for a person who bore some resemblance to a wolf, either in appearance or behavior 1 2 "often Latinized as Lupus and found in the French forms Lou and Love." 3

Early Origins of the Woolf family

The surname Woolf was first found in The Pipe Rolls, or Sheriff's Annual Accounts of the Counties of Cumberland, Westmorland and Durham during the reigns of Henry II, Richard I and John where the forename Ulf de Appelbi was recorded in 1163. The same rolls listed Ulf Stodhyrda in 1196. 4

In Lincolnshire, the Pipe Rolls of 1166 included an entry for Robert Wulf as holding lands there at that time. 3

Later the Cartularium Abbatiale de Whiteby, Ordinis S. Benedicti had two records, this time as a surname: Roger Ulfe; and William filius Ulfe in 1350. 4

Early History of the Woolf family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Woolf research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1202, 1550, 1560, 1578, 1739, 1755, 1760, 1791, 1803 and 1823 are included under the topic Early Woolf History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Woolf Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Woolf have been found, including Wolfe, Wolf, Woolf, Woolfe, Wolff, de Wolfe and many more.

Early Notables of the Woolf family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Arthur Wolfe, 1st Viscount Kilwarden (1739-1803), Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, the son of John Wolfe of Forenaughts, co. Kildare, and of Mary, only daughter of William Philpot. He entered at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1755, and, having obtained a scholarship, graduated B.A. in 1760.Charles Wolfe (1791-1823), the Irish poet, was born at Blackhall, co. Kildare, on 14 Dec. 1791. He was one of a family of...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Woolf Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Woolf Ranking

In the United States, the name Woolf is the 7,052nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Woolf family to Ireland

Some of the Woolf family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Woolf migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Woolf were among those contributors:

Woolf Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Woolf, who landed in Maryland in 1666-1750 6
Woolf Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Andris Woolf, aged 26, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 6
  • Anna Dority Woolf, aged 30, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 6
  • Jacob Woolf, aged 20, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1739 6
  • Hans Peter Woolf, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1742 6
  • Henry Woolf, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 6
Woolf Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Godfrey Woolf, aged 76, who arrived in New York in 1802 6
  • Wilhelm Woolf, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1803 6
  • Michael Woolf, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1806 6
  • Isaac Woolf, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1806 6
  • Abraham Woolf, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1806 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Woolf migration to Australia +

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

Woolf Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mary Woolf, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Trafalgar" in 1849 7
Woolf Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century
  • Mrs. Elizabeth A. Woolf, (b. 1879), aged 21, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Duke of Norfolk"arriving in Queensland, Australia on 15th August 1900 8
  • Mr. Samuel E. Woolf, (b. 1874), aged 26, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Duke of Norfolk"arriving in Queensland, Australia on 15th August 1900 8

Woolf 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:

Woolf Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Samuel Woolf, aged 30, a farmer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • Lydia Woolf, aged 29, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • Alice Woolf, aged 9, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • Ann Woolf, aged 7, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • Thomas Woolf, aged 6, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Woolf (post 1700) +

  • Virginia Adeline Woolf (1882-1941), English novelist, critic, and essayist, best known for novels Mrs Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927) and Orlando (1928)
  • Jack Royce Woolf (1924-2014), American academic, President Emeritus of the University of Texas at Arlington
  • Martin Woolf Sr. (1858-1928), American-born, Canadian politician, civil servant and police magistrate in Alberta
  • Herbert M. Woolf (1880-1964), American businessman and Thoroughbred racehorse owner
  • Randall Woolf, American composer
  • Arthur Woolf (1766-1837), English mechanical engineer best-known for his invention of a more efficient compound steam engine 9
  • Gabriel Woolf (b. 1932), English film, radio and television actor
  • Leonard Sydney Woolf (1880-1969), noted British political theorist, author, and civil servant, but perhaps now best known as husband to author Virginia Woolf
  • Henry Woolf SOM (1930-2021), British actor, theatre director, and teacher of acting, drama, and theatre who lived in Canada, longtime friend and collaborator of Harold Pinter
  • Russell Woolf (1964-2021), Australian media personality, who was best known as a presenter on ABC Radio Perth in Western Australia
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

USS Arizona
  • Mr. Norman Bragg Woolf, American Chief Water Tender Permanent from Alabama, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 10


The Woolf Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fides in adversis
Motto Translation: faith in adversity


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  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. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The TRAFALGAR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Trafalgar.htm
  8. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
  9. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 13 Feb. 2019
  10. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html


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