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Woodard
How to Pronounce Woodard
Pronounced WOOD-erd /ˈwʊd.ərd/Medium
Meaning: Woodard is an English occupational surname joining the Old English wudu, 'wood, forest,' with weard, 'guardian, keeper' - literally 'guardian of the wood,' the title of a medieval forester responsible for protecting a wooded estate.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Woodard comes from the Old English wudu, 'wood,' joined to weard, 'guardian' - the same 'guard' element behind Howard and Steward. It named a medieval forest-keeper before becoming a hereditary surname, which some American families later carried forward as a given name.
As a first name Woodard was never common, given to about 18 boys a year at its early peak in 1920, and it appears in the SSA data from 1911 to 1958, a firmly early-twentieth-century span. A boy named Woodard at his peak would be over a century old today.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Woodard mean?
It comes from Old English wudu 'wood' and weard 'guardian,' together meaning 'guardian of the wood.'
How do you pronounce Woodard?
It is said WOOD-erd /ˈwʊd.ərd/, two syllables with the stress on the first.
Is Woodard a boy or girl name?
Woodard is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Woodard?
It was always rare as a first name, given to about 18 boys a year at its 1920 peak, and it disappeared from records by the late 1950s.