NameCensus.

UK surname

Godby

A locational surname denoting an inhabitant of a village near the River Goud.

In the 1881 census there were 211 people recorded with the Godby surname, ranking it #12,407 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 246, ranked #16,993, down from #12,407 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Weston-super-Mare, Kewstoke, Worle. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Thanet and North Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Godby is 274 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.6%.

1881 census count

211

Ranked #12,407

Modern count

246

2016, ranked #16,993

Peak year

1901

274 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Godby had 211 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,407 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016, ranked #16,993.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 274 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Godby surname distribution map

The map shows where the Godby surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Godby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Godby over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 168 #11,873
1861 historical 167 #13,956
1881 historical 211 #12,407
1891 historical 213 #14,269
1901 historical 274 #12,370
1911 historical 257 #12,658
1997 modern 233 #15,975
1998 modern 231 #16,555
1999 modern 236 #16,404
2000 modern 244 #16,004
2001 modern 240 #15,912
2002 modern 246 #15,988
2003 modern 242 #15,960
2004 modern 243 #16,004
2005 modern 229 #16,631
2006 modern 231 #16,636
2007 modern 244 #16,186
2008 modern 238 #16,640
2009 modern 240 #16,896
2010 modern 241 #17,186
2011 modern 235 #17,328
2012 modern 224 #17,786
2013 modern 242 #17,158
2014 modern 247 #17,035
2015 modern 240 #17,279
2016 modern 246 #16,993

Geography

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Where Godbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Weston-super-Mare, Kewstoke, Worle and Wisbech St Peter. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Thanet, North Kesteven, North West Leicestershire and Mansfield. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Weston-super-Mare, Kewstoke, Worle Somerset
4 London parishes London 3
5 Wisbech St Peter Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 006 Cornwall
2 Thanet 007 Thanet
3 North Kesteven 009 North Kesteven
4 North West Leicestershire 010 North West Leicestershire
5 Mansfield 010 Mansfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Godby

These lists show first names that appear often with the Godby surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Godby

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Godby, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Godby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Godby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Godby is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Godby is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Godby falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Godby is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Godby, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Godby

The surname Godby is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have originated in the county of Lincolnshire, derived from the Old Norse personal name Guðbjartr, which means "bright or shining for God." This name was likely brought to England by Norse settlers during the Viking Age.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Godby can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where it appears as "Godby." This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 12th century.

The Godby surname is also closely associated with the village of Godby, located in the East Riding of Yorkshire. This place name, which dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, is thought to have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Godby was Richard de Godby, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in Lincolnshire. He is mentioned in several historical records from the period, including the Feet of Fines for Lincolnshire in 1245.

During the 14th century, the Godby surname can be found in various records, such as the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John Godby is listed as residing in the village of Godby in Yorkshire.

In the 16th century, a prominent individual with the Godby surname was William Godby, a merchant and alderman of the city of London. He was born in 1520 and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1587.

Another notable figure was Sir Henry Godby, a Member of Parliament for the borough of Taunton in Somerset during the 17th century. He was born in 1602 and played a significant role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.

In the 18th century, the Godby surname gained recognition through the work of William Godby, an English painter and engraver who was born in 1760 and is known for his landscapes and portraits.

Throughout the centuries, the Godby surname has also been recorded with various spellings, such as Godbie, Godbye, and Godebye, reflecting the regional variations and phonetic adaptations that were common in earlier times.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Godby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Godby surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 28 Godbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.37x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 28 1.37x
Lancashire 21 0.86x
Yorkshire 19 0.94x
Gloucestershire 17 4.23x
Surrey 16 1.60x
Kent 13 1.86x
Somerset 13 3.94x
Cambridgeshire 10 7.71x
Sussex 9 2.61x
Derbyshire 8 2.49x
Northamptonshire 8 4.15x
Wiltshire 7 3.86x
Huntingdonshire 6 14.75x
Norfolk 6 1.90x
Shropshire 6 3.39x
Dorset 4 2.98x
Lincolnshire 4 1.22x
Warwickshire 4 0.77x
Berkshire 2 1.30x
Durham 2 0.33x
Glamorgan 2 0.56x
Leicestershire 2 0.88x
Worcestershire 2 0.75x
Cornwall 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 12 Godbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.04x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 12 6.04x
Kensington London 10 8.78x
Wisbech St Peter 10 153.61x
Petersham 9 2250.00x
Cheetham 8 44.13x
Horfield 8 198.02x
Bolsover 7 434.78x
Chard 6 150.38x
Glinton 6 2142.86x
Haughton 6 169.01x
Hove 6 39.60x
Plumstead 6 25.75x
Shipley 6 56.98x
Wistow 6 2142.86x
York Holy Trinity 6 342.86x
Clifton 5 24.62x
Edgbaston 4 24.97x
Sheffield 4 6.19x
Southwark Christchurch 4 41.67x
Spalding 4 61.54x
Tarrant Keynston 4 2105.26x
Westbury On Trym 4 29.39x
Barmer 3 7500.00x
Castleton 3 12.36x
Chetwynd 3 526.32x
Lambeth 3 1.68x
Meole Brace 3 326.09x
North Meols 3 12.61x
Paddington London 3 3.98x
Rochester St Margaret 3 40.71x
Weston Super Mare 3 36.01x
Chippenham 2 52.63x
Cliffe Pypard 2 370.37x
Etton 2 2000.00x
Holford 2 1818.18x
Lakenham 2 44.64x
New Shoreham 2 96.62x
Roath 2 12.35x
St Marylebone London 2 1.83x
Stockton On Tees 2 6.81x
Swindon 2 14.23x
Whistones 2 103.09x
Bodmin 1 26.04x
Bradfield 1 123.46x
Brasted 1 109.89x
Brighton 1 1.44x
Burbage 1 108.70x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 13.72x
Chesterfield 1 8.32x
Christ Church Newgate 1 105.26x
Dalton In Furness 1 10.66x
Dunster 1 126.58x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 2.42x
Hungerford 1 48.08x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 10.57x
Leicester St Margaret 1 1.81x
Leicester St Mary 1 5.45x
Maidstone 1 4.80x
Mexborough 1 24.81x
Normanton 1 16.39x
Uphill 1 222.22x
Woolwich 1 3.87x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Godby surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Godby surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 14
William 12
Charles 8
George 8
Henry 7
Frederick 5
James 5
Thomas 5
Joseph 4
Robert 4
Walter 4
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Augustus 2
Frank 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Benjamin 1
Christopher 1
Clement 1
Edward 1
Fredk. 1
Hanbel 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Levi 1
Lewis 1
Louis 1
Norman 1
Philip 1
Silas 1
Wiliam 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Godby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Godby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 211 people were recorded with the Godby surname. That placed it at #12,407 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Godby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016. That gives Godby a modern rank of #16,993.

What does the Godby surname mean?

A locational surname denoting an inhabitant of a village near the River Goud.

What does the Godby map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Godby bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.