How Many People Are Named Wood?
An estimated 82 people in the United States have the first name Wood. It is predominantly male (98.1%). The average bearer is 39 years old, and Wood peaked in popularity in 2023 with 22 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Wood as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Wood paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Wood is exceptionally rare. Fewer than 100 people with this name are estimated to be alive in the U.S. today.
Estimated Living Americans
82
About 1 in 4,179,931 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
98.1% confidence
Average Age
39
years old
Peak Year
2023
22 births
Total Registered
319
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Wood
Wood is predominantly male (98.1%), though 6 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Wood as a male name
Ranked #9,802 in 2024
8 male births in 2024
Peak: 2023 (16 births)
Wood as a female name
Ranked #15,069 in 2023
6 female births in 2023
Peak: 2023 (6 births)
Wood in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 465 people with the first name Wood, which placed it at #21,719 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Wood was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 465 people with this name in that snapshot, 80.6% were male and 19.4% were female. That is less heavily male than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 98.1% male.
Census Count
465
people with this name
Census Rank
#21,719
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.15
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Wood was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (52.58%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (29.18%) and Asian and Pacific Islander (12.23%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Wood in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Wood.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 52.58% | 245 |
| Black | 29.18% | 136 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 12.23% | 57 |
| Hispanic | 4.29% | 20 |
| Two or More Races | 1.29% | 6 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.43% | 2 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Wood: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Wood span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 8 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1910s, when 85 babies were registered. While Wood is less common than at its peak in the 1910s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Wood by Decade
How has Wood tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Wood + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Wood as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Wood
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
Wood: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wood?
We estimate approximately 82 people named Wood are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 4,179,931 Americans share this first name.
Is Wood a common name?
Wood is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 61.6% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 319 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Wood most popular?
Wood reached peak popularity in 2023, when 22 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Wood is approximately 39 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Wood in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 465 people with the first name Wood. That placed it at #21,719 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.15 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Wood was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Wood?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Wood was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 80.6% male and 19.4% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Wood?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Wood was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (52.58%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (29.18%) and Asian and Pacific Islander (12.23%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Wood a male name?
Wood is predominantly male. 98.1% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Wood have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Wood peaked in 2023, and the average living bearer is about 39 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Wood Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Wood Smith, Wood Johnson, Wood Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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