NameCensus.

UK surname

Good

An English surname derived from the Old English word "gód," meaning "good" or "virtuous."

In the 1881 census there were 3,733 people recorded with the Good surname, ranking it #1,224 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,500, ranked #1,509, down from #1,224 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Edinburgh and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tendring, Fenland and West Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Good is 4,671 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.5%.

1881 census count

3,733

Ranked #1,224

Modern count

4,500

2016, ranked #1,509

Peak year

2000

4,671 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Good had 3,733 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,224 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,500 in 2016, ranked #1,509.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,508 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Good surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Good surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Good 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 2,767 #1,060
1861 historical 2,866 #1,016
1881 historical 3,733 #1,224
1891 historical 4,246 #1,129
1901 historical 4,508 #1,266
1911 historical 4,263 #1,216
1997 modern 4,519 #1,448
1998 modern 4,618 #1,470
1999 modern 4,644 #1,477
2000 modern 4,671 #1,458
2001 modern 4,580 #1,457
2002 modern 4,630 #1,472
2003 modern 4,523 #1,466
2004 modern 4,496 #1,477
2005 modern 4,375 #1,497
2006 modern 4,358 #1,504
2007 modern 4,392 #1,507
2008 modern 4,374 #1,523
2009 modern 4,408 #1,541
2010 modern 4,527 #1,539
2011 modern 4,472 #1,534
2012 modern 4,380 #1,537
2013 modern 4,463 #1,534
2014 modern 4,517 #1,533
2015 modern 4,505 #1,519
2016 modern 4,500 #1,509

Geography

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Where Goods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Edinburgh, Lambeth and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tendring, Fenland and West Lindsey. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tendring 001 Tendring
2 Tendring 004 Tendring
3 Tendring 002 Tendring
4 Fenland 003 Fenland
5 West Lindsey 001 West Lindsey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Good

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Good

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Good is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Good is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Good falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Good 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 Good, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Good

The surname "GOOD" is an English name derived from the Old English word "gōd", meaning "good" or "prosperous". The name originated in various regions of England, particularly in the southern and eastern counties, during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "GOOD" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Gode" and "Goud", indicating its long-standing presence in the English language.

The surname "GOOD" often referred to individuals with positive qualities or those who were considered virtuous or morally upright. In some cases, it may have been a descriptive name given to someone with a kind or charitable nature. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational name for a person who excelled in a particular trade or craft.

Notable historical figures with the surname "GOOD" include Sir John Good (c. 1350-1412), a prominent English soldier and diplomat who served under King Richard II and King Henry IV. Another significant bearer of the name was Thomas Good (c. 1609-1678), an English clergyman and writer who published works on various subjects, including theology and natural philosophy.

In the 16th century, the surname "GOOD" was found in various regions of England, as evidenced by records such as the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire (1524) and the Subsidy Rolls of Norfolk (1568). These records list individuals with the surname "GOOD" who were subject to taxation during that period.

The surname "GOOD" has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Goodmanham in East Yorkshire, which was derived from the Old English "Gōdmundes ham" (meaning "Gōdmund's homestead"). Similarly, the village of Goodworth Clatford in Hampshire was originally known as "Godwurde" in the Domesday Book.

Other notable individuals with the surname "GOOD" include Mary Good (c. 1672-1731), an English Quaker minister and writer, and John Mason Good (1764-1827), an English writer, physician, and translator who authored several works on medicine and literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Good families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Good 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 588 Goods recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.62x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 588 1.62x
Surrey 319 1.80x
Lincolnshire 294 5.06x
Yorkshire 283 0.79x
Essex 180 2.51x
Kent 153 1.23x
Hampshire 150 2.01x
Suffolk 143 3.23x
Lanarkshire 142 1.21x
Lancashire 129 0.30x
Gloucestershire 89 1.25x
Midlothian 84 1.73x
Nottinghamshire 80 1.63x
Devon 77 1.02x
Durham 72 0.67x
Glamorgan 70 1.11x
Dorset 63 2.64x
Somerset 62 1.06x
Staffordshire 62 0.51x
Worcestershire 60 1.26x
Sussex 57 0.93x
Ayrshire 47 1.73x
Northumberland 42 0.78x
Cheshire 35 0.44x
Warwickshire 35 0.38x
Norfolk 31 0.55x
Wiltshire 31 0.96x
Leicestershire 26 0.65x
Renfrewshire 26 0.92x
Hertfordshire 24 0.96x
Monmouthshire 24 0.91x
Cornwall 23 0.56x
Oxfordshire 21 0.94x
Berkshire 19 0.70x
Northamptonshire 18 0.53x
Shropshire 18 0.57x
Derbyshire 17 0.30x
Kirkcudbrightshire 15 2.85x
Angus 14 0.42x
Aberdeenshire 13 0.39x
Buckinghamshire 12 0.55x
Dumfriesshire 12 1.50x
Cambridgeshire 11 0.48x
Inverness-shire 10 0.92x
Herefordshire 9 0.60x
Royal Navy 7 1.62x
West Lothian 5 0.91x
Bedfordshire 3 0.16x
Buteshire 3 1.36x
Cumberland 3 0.10x
Fife 3 0.14x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.28x
Perthshire 2 0.12x
Brecknockshire 1 0.14x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.07x
Caithness 1 0.20x
East Lothian 1 0.21x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.09x
Rutland 1 0.37x
Westmorland 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 131 Goods recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.13x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 131 4.13x
Islington London 105 2.98x
Portsea 62 4.25x
Sculcoates 57 9.98x
Holy Trinity 56 6.47x
Camberwell 44 1.90x
Mile End Old Town London 42 5.43x
St Pancras London 41 1.40x
West Ham 40 2.53x
Great Grimsby 36 9.76x
Bethnal Green London 35 2.22x
Glasgow 34 1.63x
Glemsford 33 106.18x
Paddington London 33 2.47x
Deptford St Paul 31 3.24x
Millbrook 29 15.46x
Bishopwearmouth 28 3.02x
Harwich St Nicholas 28 50.54x
Kensington London 28 1.39x
Nottingham St Mary 28 2.21x
Poplar London 28 4.08x
Govan 27 0.93x
Walthamstow 26 10.07x
Barony 25 0.84x
Seaton 25 85.73x
Snenton 25 12.99x
Hackney London 24 1.18x
Kilmarnock 22 6.80x
Liberton 22 29.28x
Orford 22 154.17x
Hornsey 21 4.57x
Westbury On Trym 21 8.70x
Bow London 20 4.32x
Kirkdale 20 2.76x
Cardiff St John 19 9.19x
Carluke 19 17.81x
Roath 19 6.61x
St George Hanover Square 19 2.97x
Battersea 18 1.35x
Clapham 18 3.96x
Hammersmith London 18 2.01x
Liverpool 18 0.69x
Plymouth St Andrew 17 2.92x
Shoreditch London 17 1.08x
Gillingham 16 6.26x
Salehurst 16 60.31x
Clerkenwell London 15 1.75x
Croydon 15 1.53x
Doncaster 15 5.70x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 15 0.77x
Leicester St Margaret 15 1.53x
Newington 14 1.04x
Plymouth Charles The 14 4.20x
South Leith 14 2.56x
Bermondsey 13 1.20x
Burgh In Marsh 13 91.87x
Cardiff St Mary 13 3.73x
Dundee 13 1.03x
Gainsborough 13 9.49x
Lindridge 13 108.33x
Reepham 13 293.45x
Tottenham 13 2.25x
Birmingham 12 0.39x
Brighton 12 0.97x
Currie 12 40.27x
Dalry 12 97.64x
Greenwich 12 2.07x
Lewisham 12 1.82x
Streatham 12 4.45x
Toxteth Park 12 0.82x
Candlesby 11 358.31x
Llandaff 11 5.23x
West Bromwich 11 1.57x
Westminster St James 11 2.94x
Woodford 11 13.55x
Horsemonden 10 55.22x
Huntspill 10 41.77x
Walsall Foreign 10 1.58x
Winthorpe 10 238.66x
Wrawby 10 63.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 197
Elizabeth 119
Sarah 89
Annie 69
Jane 66
Emma 65
Ann 54
Alice 53
Ellen 53
Eliza 50
Emily 43
Martha 31
Fanny 27
Charlotte 26
Edith 25
Ada 24
Hannah 24
Kate 23
Florence 22
Harriet 20
Louisa 19
Clara 18
Susan 18
Caroline 17
Anne 16
Maria 16
Frances 15
Margaret 15
Catherine 14
Eleanor 12
Jessie 12
Lucy 12
Matilda 11
Amelia 10
Minnie 10
Rebecca 10
Esther 9
Harriett 9
Rosa 9
Sophia 9
Isabella 8
Rachel 8
Rhoda 8
Ruth 8
Agnes 7
Dorothy 7
Gertrude 7
Helen 7
Susannah 7
Rose 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 229
John 168
George 119
Thomas 100
James 93
Charles 85
Henry 79
Joseph 58
Edward 49
Alfred 44
Arthur 41
Frederick 40
Robert 34
Walter 31
Richard 29
Harry 23
Samuel 22
Edwin 21
Benjamin 15
Wm. 15
Albert 13
Ernest 13
Herbert 13
Isaac 10
Thos. 9
Frank 8
Francis 7
Bernard 6
Daniel 6
Edmund 6
Geo. 6
Chas. 5
Michael 5
Alexander 4
David 4
Jabez 4
Nathaniel 4
Percy 4
Stephen 4
Allen 3
Andrew 3
Fred 3
Harold 3
Jacob 3
Philip 3
Robt. 3
Sidney 3
Sydney 3
Wallace 3
Willie 3

FAQ

Good surname: questions and answers

How common was the Good surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,733 people were recorded with the Good surname. That placed it at #1,224 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Good surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,500 in 2016. That gives Good a modern rank of #1,509.

What does the Good surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English word "gód," meaning "good" or "virtuous."

What does the Good map show?

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