NameCensus.

UK surname

Goodale

An English locational surname derived from any of the various places named Goodall, meaning "good hall."

In the 1881 census there were 315 people recorded with the Goodale surname, ranking it #9,393 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 364, ranked #12,748, down from #9,393 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Clare, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Fenland and South Holland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goodale is 663 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.6%.

1881 census count

315

Ranked #9,393

Modern count

364

2016, ranked #12,748

Peak year

1861

663 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goodale had 315 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,393 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 364 in 2016, ranked #12,748.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 663 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Goodale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goodale surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goodale 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 386 #6,216
1861 historical 663 #4,039
1881 historical 315 #9,393
1891 historical 497 #7,465
1901 historical 441 #8,830
1911 historical 493 #7,902
1997 modern 401 #10,989
1998 modern 392 #11,512
1999 modern 402 #11,403
2000 modern 399 #11,422
2001 modern 386 #11,509
2002 modern 390 #11,646
2003 modern 384 #11,589
2004 modern 383 #11,650
2005 modern 378 #11,692
2006 modern 375 #11,796
2007 modern 391 #11,570
2008 modern 383 #11,876
2009 modern 388 #12,000
2010 modern 407 #11,824
2011 modern 390 #12,089
2012 modern 376 #12,262
2013 modern 364 #12,790
2014 modern 369 #12,745
2015 modern 364 #12,768
2016 modern 364 #12,748

Geography

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Where Goodales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Clare, London parishes, St Pancras and Birstall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Fenland and South Holland. 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 Clare Suffolk
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 013 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Fenland 001 Fenland
4 Fenland 004 Fenland
5 South Holland 008 South Holland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goodale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goodale

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Goodale, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Goodale surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Goodale household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Goodale is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Goodale is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Goodale falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Goodale

The surname Goodale has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English words "god," meaning good, and "hale," meaning remote or secluded place, likely referring to a pleasant and isolated dwelling or area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202, where it appears as "de Godehale." This entry suggests that the name may have originated from a specific place called Goodale or Godhale, though the exact location remains uncertain.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Godalman" and "Godelman," reflecting the influence of regional dialects and scribal variations in spelling. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a William de Godehale, providing further evidence of the name's usage during this period.

By the 14th century, the surname had evolved into its more recognizable modern form, with entries in records like the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it appears as "Goddale." This suggests that the name had spread to different regions of England.

Notable individuals bearing the Goodale surname throughout history include John Goodale (c. 1592-1664), an early settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony, and Richard Goodale (1668-1738), a prominent merchant and landowner in Virginia. Later, William Goodale (1792-1862) served as a United States Representative from Maine.

Other notable figures with this surname include George Lincoln Goodale (1839-1923), a renowned botanist and co-founder of Harvard University's Botanical Garden, and Stephen Lincoln Goodale (1836-1904), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.

While the exact origin of the Goodale surname remains somewhat uncertain, its history can be traced back to medieval England, where it likely originated as a locational name describing a pleasant, secluded place.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goodale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goodale 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. Surrey leads with 45 Goodales recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.01x.

County Total Index
Surrey 45 3.01x
Norfolk 43 9.10x
Kent 38 3.62x
Middlesex 33 1.07x
Lincolnshire 25 5.09x
Cambridgeshire 19 9.76x
Suffolk 18 4.81x
Lancashire 14 0.38x
Cheshire 11 1.62x
Essex 9 1.48x
Durham 8 0.88x
Nottinghamshire 8 1.93x
Derbyshire 7 1.46x
Oxfordshire 7 3.69x
Yorkshire 7 0.23x
Worcestershire 6 1.50x
East Lothian 4 9.83x
Sussex 4 0.77x
Somerset 3 0.61x
Leicestershire 2 0.59x
Northamptonshire 2 0.69x
Berkshire 1 0.43x
Herefordshire 1 0.79x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mortlake in Surrey leads with 18 Goodales recorded in 1881 and an index of 269.87x.

Place Total Index
Mortlake 18 269.87x
Clare 11 614.53x
Clifton 11 5238.10x
Lambeth 11 4.11x
Terrington St Clement 11 516.43x
Wisbech St Peter 11 112.70x
Southwark St George Martyr 10 16.17x
Walpole St Peter 10 833.33x
East Ham 8 71.05x
Lutton 8 987.65x
Stockton On Tees 8 18.16x
Twickenham 8 60.74x
Wickhambreux 8 1568.63x
Blackbourton 7 3181.82x
Deptford St Paul 7 8.66x
Kettlebaston 7 4117.65x
Stoke Newington London 7 29.25x
Toxteth Park 7 5.67x
Tydd St Giles 7 752.69x
East Dereham 6 100.50x
Evesham St Lawrence 6 281.69x
Fleet 6 428.57x
Margate St John Baptist 6 31.25x
Outwell 6 652.17x
St Luke London 6 12.17x
St Peters 6 123.71x
Bapchild 5 1136.36x
Gedney 5 248.76x
Litchurch 5 25.83x
Basford 4 20.95x
Brighton 4 3.83x
Chelsea London 4 4.32x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 6.91x
Deeping St Nicholas 4 277.78x
Kensington London 4 2.34x
Nottingham St Mary 4 3.73x
Woolwich 4 10.33x
Humbie 3 312.50x
Leeds 3 1.74x
Salford 3 2.80x
Walpole St Andrew 3 405.41x
Walsoken 3 105.63x
West Walton 3 333.33x
Yeovil 3 29.85x
Battersea 2 1.77x
Camberwell 2 1.02x
Irchester 2 111.73x
Leicester St Margaret 2 2.41x
Morley 2 12.63x
Croydon 1 1.20x
Dirleton 1 62.50x
Emneth 1 95.24x
Hornsey 1 2.57x
Ickham Well 1 166.67x
Matlock 1 15.48x
Muggington 1 476.19x
Nether Poppleton 1 322.58x
Paddington London 1 0.89x
Queenborough 1 96.15x
Scarborough 1 3.61x
St Clement Danes London 1 15.72x
St Marylebone London 1 0.61x
Stauntonon Arrow 1 277.78x
Sutton St Mary 1 21.51x
Wantage 1 27.17x
Weston 1 112.36x
Wisbech St Mary 1 44.84x
Woking 1 11.09x
Woodford 1 14.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 18
Mary 16
Elizabeth 11
Annie 7
Ellen 5
Ada 4
Alice 4
Catherine 4
Emily 4
Emma 4
Hannah 4
Ann 3
Charlotte 3
Eliza 3
Julia 3
Margaret 3
Martha 3
Rose 3
Sophia 3
Adelaide 2
Amy 2
Caroline 2
E. 2
Edith 2
Jane 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Priscilla 2
Rachel 2
Rebecca 2
Susan 2
B. 1
Bathsheba 1
Beatrice 1
Charlott 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Janet 1
Katherine 1
Kelly 1
Lavinia 1
Lois 1
Lucy 1
Margrate 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 23
John 16
George 10
Alfred 8
Charles 7
Thomas 7
Frederick 6
James 6
Richard 5
Harry 3
Robert 3
Albert 2
Archibald 2
Benjamin 2
Christopher 2
Edward 2
Fred 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Willie 2
Archie 1
Arthur 1
Auther 1
Benjm. 1
Bretten 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
H. 1
Harold 1
Heamest 1
Hugh 1
Jno. 1
Martin 1
Percy 1
Purcee 1
Reubin 1
Rose 1
Rueben 1
Sam 1
Samson 1
Scheriffe 1
Sidney 1
Vernon 1
Willm. 1
Zacchaeus 1

FAQ

Goodale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goodale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 315 people were recorded with the Goodale surname. That placed it at #9,393 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goodale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 364 in 2016. That gives Goodale a modern rank of #12,748.

What does the Goodale surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from any of the various places named Goodall, meaning "good hall."

What does the Goodale map show?

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