Woody
Woody, also spelled Woodie, is a masculine given name in its own right or a pet form of Woodrow and other names such as Elwood or Heywood. It was especially popular in the US during and after the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. It is also a surname.
Meaning & Origin of Woody
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Woody, also spelled Woodie, is a masculine given name in its own right or a pet form of Woodrow and other names such as Elwood or Heywood. It was especially popular in the US during and after the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. It is also a surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Woody
Woody first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1882, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1946, when 116 Woodys were born — ranking #599 that year. As of 2026, Woody ranks #5,802 for baby boys with 16 births, rising sharply (+65% over the past five years). In total, more than 4K Woodys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Woody
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Woody Abernathy (outfielder) (1908–1961), American baseball player
- Woody Abernathy (pitcher) (1915–1994), American baseball player
- Woody Allen (born 1935), American screenwriter and actor
- Woody Austin (born 1964), American golfer
- Woody Bennett (born 1956), American football player
- Woody Blackburn (born 1951), American golfer
- Woody Bledsoe (1921–1995), American mathematician and computer scientist
- Woody Bowman (1941–2015), American politician
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Woody
Phonetically similar names — useful when Woody is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Woody
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About the name Woody
Woody is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Woody's peak popularity came in 1946 when it ranked #598. Use the chart and map above to compare Woody's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1946 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- Names starting with "W" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.