Woodlawn is linked to Woodlawn Road, the old name of Bainbridge Avenue, and to the cemetery.
The station was named after Woodlawn Road, an old name of Bainbridge Avenue; most riders associate it with Woodlawn Cemetery, whose main entrance is just up the street. The cemetery opened during the Civil War in an area then part of Yonkers, Westchester County, which was annexed to New York City in 1874. Despite its name, the station lies in Norwood.