Woodrow is an English surname that means "row of houses by the wood", from Old English wudu and raw. It became a first name in honor of President Woodrow Wilson, and the nickname Woody belongs to Woody Guthrie and Woody Harrelson, both born Woodrow. Woodrow ranked number 3634 in the United States in 2000 and has slowly recovered to number 1653 in 2025, its best rank in this century, with 102 boys.