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Home › Baby Names Directory › Woodruff

Woodruff

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Woodruff

Pronounced WOOD-ruf /ˈwʊdrʌf/Medium

Meaning: Woodruff began as an English surname and the name of a fragrant woodland herb, sweet woodruff. The plant's name comes from Old English 'wudurofe,' its first part meaning 'wood.' Carried into the early twentieth century as a given name, it has the sturdy, nature-rooted feel of a surname-turned-first-name.Low

In 30 seconds: Woodruff is a surname and the name of a fragrant herb, sweet woodruff, from Old English 'wudurofe.' It was never common as a first name, peaking around 1917 (said WOOD-ruf).
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningWoodruff began as an English surname and the name of a fragrant woodland herb, sweet woodruff. The plant's name comes from Old English 'wudurofe,' its first part meaning 'wood.' Carried into the early twentieth century as a given name, it has the sturdy, nature-rooted feel of a surname-turned-first-name.
U.S. rank (1959)#3613 ↗ Rising
1959 U.S. births7 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1917
Total births (all-time)≈ 147

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191719121959

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

Woodruff is both an English family name and the name of sweet woodruff, a shade-loving herb whose Old English name 'wudurofe' opens with the word 'wood.' Like Woodrow, Forrest and Garland, it belongs to the early-twentieth-century fashion for using dignified surnames and nature words as boys' first names.

Woodruff was never common as a given name, reaching only about twenty boys a year at its peak around 1917 and dwindling to almost nothing by the nineteen-fifties. A boy named Woodruff then would belong to the early twentieth century, and today the name has a stately, old-fashioned ring.

Did you know? Sweet woodruff, the herb behind the name, smells of fresh hay when dried and was once used to scent linens and flavor May wine.
Overall data confidence 50%
References - Woodruff — Surname and herb name, Old English 'wudurofe'

Variations

WoodrowWoodford

Nicknames

WoodyWoodRuff

Famous Bearers

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If you like Woodruff…

Woodrow— a close 'Wood-' cousin from the same era
Forrest— a fellow nature surname-name
Garland— another vintage botanical boy's name
Wallace— shares the stately surname-name feel

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Woodruff mean?

It is a surname and the name of the herb sweet woodruff, from Old English 'wudurofe,' opening with the word 'wood.'

How do you pronounce Woodruff?

It is said WOOD-ruf, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Woodruff a boy or girl name?

Woodruff is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Woodruff?

It has always been rare as a first name, given to only about twenty boys a year even at its peak in the early nineteen-hundreds.

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