Meaning and background
The story behind Woodson
Woodson looks as though it should mean 'son of Wood', but surname dictionaries do not support that as the sole or principal historical derivation. Research instead points to Yorkshire place names such as Woodsome, and alternatively a dialectal form of Odd(e) plus son with an added initial W. These routes have little to do with a modern family called Wood. Its formal two-syllable sound is memorable, but the apparent compound should not be translated at face value.
- Origin
- Yorkshire English surname derived either from places called Woodsome/Wothersome (wood + houses) or dialectal W- added to Ode/Odd(e) + son. Source
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About Woodson
Recorded as a dog’s name
Woodson appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2023 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/wʊdsən/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/wʊdsən/ · primary stress on syllable 1W UH1 D S AH0 N
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.