Wodehouses

Wodehouses is a surname of English origin. The name appears in English records dating to the medieval period and is generally treated as a toponymic name, likely derived from a place name describing a house in or near a wood, though spellings and local usages have varied over time.

Notable individuals bearing the name include Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (1874–1975), the English writer best known for his Jeeves and Wooster and Blandings Castle series. Wodehouse’s light, urbane prose and comic timing earned him broad readership and lasting influence in 20th-century English literature, making him the most widely recognized bearer of the surname.

Historically, the Wodehouse family was associated with the British peerage. John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley (1826–1902), was a prominent Conservative politician and statesman, and the title Earl of Kimberley became attached to the family in the 19th century. The Kimberley connection indicates the Wodehouses’ involvement in landholding and public life during that era.

In contemporary usage, Wodehouse appears as a surname in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking regions. The name continues to be carried by descendants and appears in biographical, historical, and literary contexts.