Woodbury

Etymology

Woodbury comes from an English place-name built from Old English wudu, meaning “wood,” and burh/burg, meaning “fortified place,” “fortress,” or “stronghold.” In effect, the name means “fort in the wood” or “stronghold by the wood.” The surname was adopted by people who came from places called Woodbury, especially Woodbury in Devon, and also from other similarly named localities.

History

Historical surname dictionaries treat Woodbury as a classic English locational name. The strongest association is with Woodbury in Devon, though writers also note other places named Woodbury or Woodborough. The surname later appears in Britain and, through migration, in English-speaking countries such as the United States.

Origin

Regions

Variant spellings

Fun fact

Woodbury Castle, an ancient earthwork near Woodbury in Devon, was cited by 19th-century writers as a landmark illustrating the name's “wood + fort” meaning.