Wodehouse

Wodehouse is an English surname and toponym, associated with places named Wodehouse or Woodhouse. The name is derived from Old English elements meaning wood and house, indicating a dwelling by a wood. The form Wodehouse is an older or variant spelling, while Woodhouse is a closely related surname and more common in some regions today. The name remains most common in England and among people of English descent.

Notable bearers include Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (1881–1975), known as P. G. Wodehouse, an English author celebrated for his Jeeves and Wooster and Blandings Castle fiction, noted for its witty prose and intricate plots. Another prominent member is John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley (1826–1902), a British politician and colonial administrator who held various offices in the late nineteenth century. The Wodehouse family has historical ties to the English gentry and public life.

In modern references, the surname is best known through P. G. Wodehouse, whose works remain a notable influence on English-language humor. The name Wodehouse continues to be used in the United Kingdom and by communities abroad, carried by descendants and individuals with ancestral links to the family.