NameCensus.

UK surname

Gooday

An English surname possibly derived from the phrase "good day," referring to good wishes or greetings.

In the 1881 census there were 203 people recorded with the Gooday surname, ranking it #12,717 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154, ranked #23,293, down from #12,717 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willingale Spain, St James and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chelmsford, Braintree and Epping Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gooday is 225 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 24.1%.

1881 census count

203

Ranked #12,717

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

1901

225 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gooday had 203 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,717 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 225 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Gooday surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gooday surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gooday 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 134 #14,033
1861 historical 159 #14,553
1881 historical 203 #12,717
1891 historical 221 #13,897
1901 historical 225 #14,047
1911 historical 196 #15,150
1997 modern 168 #19,642
1998 modern 179 #19,372
1999 modern 178 #19,592
2000 modern 176 #19,698
2001 modern 172 #19,696
2002 modern 169 #20,307
2003 modern 164 #20,483
2004 modern 168 #20,300
2005 modern 167 #20,296
2006 modern 166 #20,534
2007 modern 161 #21,201
2008 modern 162 #21,350
2009 modern 159 #22,072
2010 modern 156 #22,886
2011 modern 155 #22,790
2012 modern 154 #22,870
2013 modern 158 #22,817
2014 modern 154 #23,439
2015 modern 151 #23,613
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Goodays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willingale Spain, St James, London parishes, Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew and Great Waldingfield, Acton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chelmsford, Braintree and Epping Forest. 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 Willingale Spain Essex
2 St James Suffolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew Suffolk
5 Great Waldingfield, Acton Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chelmsford 013 Chelmsford
2 Braintree 011 Braintree
3 Chelmsford 003 Chelmsford
4 Epping Forest 003 Epping Forest
5 Braintree 005 Braintree

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gooday

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gooday

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Gooday surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Gooday household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Gooday is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gooday 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

Gooday falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gooday

The surname Gooday is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant of the name Gooday or Goodey, which itself is derived from the Old English word "gođa," meaning "good."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Gooday date back to the 13th century. In 1273, a man named Richard Godey is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. The spelling of the name varies in historical records, with variations such as Godday, Goday, and Godeye appearing in different documents.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Gooday, who was born in Lincolnshire in 1452. He served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of King Edward IV. Another individual with this surname was William Gooday, a merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Gooday name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. A notable figure from this era was Thomas Gooday, born in 1625, who was a prominent landowner and farmer in the village of Stanton St. Quintin, Wiltshire.

During the 18th century, the Gooday surname appeared in various parish records across England. One such record mentions a John Gooday, who was baptized in the village of Wellow, Somerset, in 1742.

In the 19th century, the Gooday name continued to be found in various parts of England. One notable bearer of the surname was James Gooday, born in 1802 in the village of Crewkerne, Somerset. He was a respected local farmer and served as a churchwarden in his community.

While the Gooday surname is relatively uncommon, it has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds throughout history. The name's origins can be traced back to the Old English language, reflecting its deep roots in the history and culture of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gooday families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gooday 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. Essex leads with 87 Goodays recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.26x.

County Total Index
Essex 87 22.26x
Suffolk 49 20.32x
Middlesex 25 1.26x
Surrey 21 2.18x
Sussex 6 1.80x
Huntingdonshire 4 10.17x
Yorkshire 3 0.15x
Kent 2 0.30x
Lancashire 2 0.09x
Gloucestershire 1 0.26x
Norfolk 1 0.33x
Somerset 1 0.31x
Staffordshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sudbury St Gregory in Suffolk leads with 23 Goodays recorded in 1881 and an index of 1191.71x.

Place Total Index
Sudbury St Gregory 23 1191.71x
Great Dunmow 18 882.35x
Braintree 13 370.37x
St Pancras London 10 6.27x
Langford 9 5625.00x
Little Waldingfield 8 2857.14x
Fyfield 6 1875.00x
Great Waldingfield 6 1500.00x
Lambeth 6 3.48x
Newington 6 8.20x
Battle 5 222.22x
Beauchamp Roothing 5 3125.00x
Birch 5 781.25x
Chelsea London 5 8.38x
Fairsted 5 2500.00x
Kingston On Thames 5 21.57x
Cavendish 4 512.82x
Graffham 4 1739.13x
Great Leighs 4 784.31x
Sudbury All Sts 4 547.95x
Ipswich St Nicholas 3 225.56x
Islington London 3 1.56x
Layer Breton 3 1500.00x
Little Braxted 3 3750.00x
Margaret Roothing 3 2000.00x
Witham 3 149.25x
Cobham 2 126.58x
Colchester Holy Trinity 2 229.89x
Great Braxted 2 800.00x
High Roothing 2 666.67x
Mile End Old Town London 2 4.75x
Sculcoates 2 6.43x
Shoreditch London 2 2.33x
Withington 2 26.42x
Ashford 1 64.10x
Brasted 1 113.64x
Bury St Edmunds St James 1 15.53x
Camberwell 1 0.79x
Chelmsford 1 14.90x
Eastbourne 1 6.51x
Ecclesfield 1 6.95x
Goldhanger 1 294.12x
Good Easter 1 285.71x
Great Yarmouth 1 3.97x
Heybridge 1 87.72x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 11.98x
Malden 1 400.00x
Norwood 1 22.08x
Ramsgate 1 9.07x
St George Martyr London 1 24.94x
Stone 1 11.70x
Westbury On Trym 1 7.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Eliza 6
Elizabeth 5
Emma 5
Maria 5
Sarah 5
Florence 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Ann 3
Annie 3
Martha 3
Susan 3
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Marie 2
Theodoria 2
Abigail 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Azubah 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Christiana 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Emily 1
Emmeline 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Infant 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lois 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Philp. 1
Rosetta 1
Thurza 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Gooday surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gooday surname in 1881?

In 1881, 203 people were recorded with the Gooday surname. That placed it at #12,717 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gooday surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Gooday a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Gooday surname mean?

An English surname possibly derived from the phrase "good day," referring to good wishes or greetings.

What does the Gooday map show?

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