NameCensus.

UK surname

Godding

An occupational surname possibly derived from the word "god" referring to someone's association with religious matters.

In the 1881 census there were 422 people recorded with the Godding surname, ranking it #7,666 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 616, ranked #8,530, down from #7,666 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Portisham and Letcomb Regis, Childrey. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Rochdale and Cotswold.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Godding is 682 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.0%.

1881 census count

422

Ranked #7,666

Modern count

616

2016, ranked #8,530

Peak year

1999

682 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Godding had 422 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,666 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 616 in 2016, ranked #8,530.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 631 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Godding surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Godding surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Godding 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 251 #8,761
1861 historical 420 #6,114
1881 historical 422 #7,666
1891 historical 529 #7,085
1901 historical 590 #7,155
1911 historical 631 #6,581
1997 modern 677 #7,438
1998 modern 675 #7,689
1999 modern 682 #7,669
2000 modern 672 #7,730
2001 modern 659 #7,714
2002 modern 678 #7,702
2003 modern 656 #7,787
2004 modern 629 #8,041
2005 modern 601 #8,267
2006 modern 606 #8,223
2007 modern 606 #8,287
2008 modern 584 #8,591
2009 modern 623 #8,353
2010 modern 615 #8,626
2011 modern 622 #8,447
2012 modern 602 #8,584
2013 modern 631 #8,407
2014 modern 634 #8,421
2015 modern 620 #8,505
2016 modern 616 #8,530

Geography

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Where Goddings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Portisham, Letcomb Regis, Childrey and East and West Lavington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Rochdale, Cotswold, Ross and Cromarty North West and Neath Port Talbot. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Portisham Dorset
3 London parishes London 3
4 Letcomb Regis, Childrey Berkshire
5 East and West Lavington Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 001 Herefordshire, County of
2 Rochdale 016 Rochdale
3 Cotswold 009 Cotswold
4 Ross and Cromarty North West Highland
5 Neath Port Talbot 005 Neath Port Talbot

Forenames

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First names often paired with Godding

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Godding

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Godding, 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 Godding surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Godding 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Godding is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Godding is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Godding falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Godding is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Godding

The surname Godding is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from either the Old English word "godding," meaning a person who is pious or religious, or from the place name "Godding," which was located in Lincolnshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Godding can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a person named Walter Godding is mentioned. The name also appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1396, referring to a John Godding.

In the 15th century, there are records of a Richard Godding who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. He was born around 1420 and is mentioned in various legal documents and records of the time.

During the Tudor period, a notable figure with this surname was William Godding, a scholar and clergyman who lived from 1510 to 1584. He was educated at the University of Cambridge and served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Islington, London.

In the 17th century, Thomas Godding (1618-1688) was a prominent Puritan minister who served as the Vicar of Gillingham in Norfolk. He was known for his strong religious convictions and his opposition to the Church of England's policies during the English Civil War.

Another notable bearer of the Godding surname was John Godding (1760-1842), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Captain and was involved in several significant naval battles against the French.

Over the centuries, the surname Godding has also been associated with various places and locales, such as Godding Green in Kent and Godding Farm in Oxfordshire, which may have derived their names from individuals bearing this surname or from the original place name in Lincolnshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Godding families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Godding 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. Hampshire leads with 67 Goddings recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.94x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 67 7.94x
Middlesex 65 1.58x
Berkshire 58 18.77x
Kent 33 2.35x
Somerset 26 3.92x
Surrey 26 1.30x
Gloucestershire 21 2.60x
Dorset 17 6.29x
Yorkshire 15 0.37x
Buckinghamshire 11 4.42x
Flintshire 9 8.13x
Oxfordshire 9 3.54x
Sussex 9 1.30x
Glamorgan 8 1.12x
Herefordshire 8 4.74x
Lancashire 8 0.16x
Wiltshire 7 1.92x
Cumberland 6 1.69x
Cambridgeshire 5 1.92x
Devon 5 0.58x
Staffordshire 5 0.36x
Cheshire 1 0.11x
Essex 1 0.12x
Suffolk 1 0.20x
Warwickshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 50 Goddings recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.24x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 50 30.24x
Streatley 11 1208.79x
Clevedon 10 145.14x
Hope 9 163.34x
Banwell 8 330.58x
Greenwich 8 12.21x
Harpsden 8 2352.94x
Newbury 8 80.81x
Chelsham 7 1111.11x
Deptford St Paul 7 6.46x
Yateley 7 437.50x
Battersea 6 3.96x
Brighton 6 4.29x
Chatham 6 15.53x
Dorney 6 1363.64x
North Cerney 6 681.82x
Rickergate 6 80.00x
St Ethelburga London 6 2142.86x
Willesden 6 15.46x
Cwmdu 5 57.27x
Kenderchurch 5 6250.00x
Lechlade 5 301.20x
Letcombe Regis 5 833.33x
Litton Cheney 5 769.23x
Newmarket All Sts 5 260.42x
Ovenden 5 27.55x
Reading St Mary 5 20.20x
Speen 5 98.81x
St George Hanover Square 5 6.89x
Upper Penn 5 143.68x
Westminster St James 5 11.81x
Westminster St Margaret 5 25.18x
Wimborne 5 152.91x
Bradford 4 4.05x
East Lockinge 4 851.06x
Egham 4 32.49x
Gloucester Kingsholm St 4 132.89x
Islington London 4 1.00x
Mile End New Town London 4 49.20x
Old Windsor 4 111.73x
St Andrew Holborn London 4 22.45x
St Marylebone London 4 1.82x
Stoke Damerel 4 6.67x
Taunton St Mary 4 32.89x
Upchurch 4 253.16x
Woolwich 4 7.71x
Alverstoke 3 9.82x
Clifton In York 3 35.17x
Ealing 3 8.15x
Ewyas Harold 3 389.61x
Great Crosby 3 22.52x
Hackney London 3 1.30x
Lambeth 3 0.84x
Liverpool 3 1.01x
Manningham 3 5.97x
Portisham 3 297.03x
South Savernake 3 967.74x
St George Martyr London 3 35.97x
Waltham St Lawrence 3 247.93x
Abbotsbury 2 144.93x
Andover 2 25.09x
Bermondsey 2 1.63x
Bradfield 2 121.95x
Bray 2 22.03x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.06x
Congresbury 2 119.05x
Coyty Lower 2 43.01x
Dinton 2 204.08x
East Woodhay 2 93.02x
Kinson 2 37.88x
Letcombe Bassett 2 645.16x
Lewisham 2 2.67x
Pewsey 2 74.63x
Portsmouth 2 10.29x
Pyecombe 2 416.67x
Quenington 2 370.37x
Shoreditch London 2 1.12x
Shrivenham 2 130.72x
Reading St Giles 1 3.30x
Upton Cum Chalvey 1 10.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 30
William 29
George 23
John 18
Henry 17
Thomas 11
Charles 8
Frederick 7
Alfred 5
Ernest 5
Albert 4
Walter 4
Arthur 3
Edwin 3
Richard 3
Tom 3
Wm. 3
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Robert 2
Alexander 1
Alford 1
Arther 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edward 1
Edwd. 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Healey 1
Hiram 1
Jesse 1
Jno.J. 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Louis 1
Oliver 1
Patrick 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Timothy 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Godding surname: questions and answers

How common was the Godding surname in 1881?

In 1881, 422 people were recorded with the Godding surname. That placed it at #7,666 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Godding surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 616 in 2016. That gives Godding a modern rank of #8,530.

What does the Godding surname mean?

An occupational surname possibly derived from the word "god" referring to someone's association with religious matters.

What does the Godding map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Godding 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.