NameCensus.

UK surname

Goodburn

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "good stream or brook".

In the 1881 census there were 315 people recorded with the Goodburn surname, ranking it #9,393 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 257, ranked #16,485, down from #9,393 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and Margate. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Melton, Doncaster and Dover.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goodburn is 429 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 18.4%.

1881 census count

315

Ranked #9,393

Modern count

257

2016, ranked #16,485

Peak year

1911

429 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goodburn had 315 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,393 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016, ranked #16,485.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 429 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Goodburn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goodburn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goodburn 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 220 #9,671
1861 historical 238 #10,321
1881 historical 315 #9,393
1891 historical 367 #9,486
1901 historical 392 #9,623
1911 historical 429 #8,815
1997 modern 354 #12,060
1998 modern 351 #12,511
1999 modern 349 #12,638
2000 modern 336 #12,921
2001 modern 332 #12,841
2002 modern 327 #13,217
2003 modern 311 #13,501
2004 modern 312 #13,532
2005 modern 292 #14,072
2006 modern 283 #14,432
2007 modern 291 #14,347
2008 modern 290 #14,466
2009 modern 283 #15,020
2010 modern 300 #14,730
2011 modern 286 #15,091
2012 modern 264 #15,904
2013 modern 267 #16,053
2014 modern 264 #16,288
2015 modern 264 #16,186
2016 modern 257 #16,485

Geography

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Where Goodburns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Margate, Hythe St Leonard, Cheriton, Newington, Saltwood, West Hythe, Burmarsh and Penrith. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Melton, Doncaster, Dover, Shepway and County Durham. 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 3
2 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
3 Margate Kent
4 Hythe St Leonard, Cheriton, Newington, Saltwood, West Hythe, Burmarsh Kent
5 Penrith Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Melton 003 Melton
2 Doncaster 003 Doncaster
3 Dover 011 Dover
4 Shepway 005 Shepway
5 County Durham 019 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goodburn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goodburn

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Goodburn 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

Goodburn is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Goodburn 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 Goodburn 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 Goodburn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Goodburn

The surname Goodburn has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "god" meaning "good" and "burne" meaning "stream" or "brook." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a good stream or a stream with good water quality.

One of the earliest known references to the name Goodburn can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from the year 1195, where a person named Godwin de Godburne is mentioned. This indicates that variations of the name, such as Godburne, were already in use during that time period.

In the 13th century, records show a Sir William de Godburne who held lands in the county of Kent. The name is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it is spelled as Godebern.

During the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Godeburn, Goddeburn, and Godburne. One notable individual from this period was John Goodburn, a landowner in the village of Albury, Surrey, whose name is mentioned in the Court Rolls of 1379.

In the 15th century, the spelling of the name began to standardize closer to its modern form, with records showing individuals such as Thomas Goodborn from Wiltshire in 1459 and William Goodborne from Oxfordshire in 1487.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Goodburn include:

1. Sir Thomas Goodburn (1550-1620), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Appleby.

2. Elizabeth Goodburn (1598-1673), an English Puritan writer and religious activist from Hertfordshire.

3. John Goodburn (1720-1789), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.

4. William Goodburn (1784-1863), an English Congregational minister and writer from Suffolk.

5. George Goodburn (1867-1941), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London.

The surname Goodburn has a rich history spanning over eight centuries, originating from the Old English language and reflecting the geographic features of the areas where its earliest bearers resided. Despite various spelling variations over time, the name has maintained its distinctive character and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goodburn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goodburn 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. Kent leads with 79 Goodburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.76x.

County Total Index
Kent 79 7.76x
Lancashire 38 1.07x
Yorkshire 31 1.05x
Middlesex 29 0.97x
Durham 23 2.59x
Leicestershire 23 6.95x
Westmorland 14 21.34x
Lincolnshire 12 2.51x
Cambridgeshire 10 5.29x
Peeblesshire 9 64.10x
Cumberland 8 3.11x
Northumberland 8 1.80x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.99x
Warwickshire 4 0.53x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.72x
Cheshire 2 0.30x
Essex 2 0.34x
Gloucestershire 2 0.34x
Huntingdonshire 2 3.38x
Northamptonshire 2 0.71x
Devon 1 0.16x
Sussex 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheriton in Kent leads with 12 Goodburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 289.16x.

Place Total Index
Cheriton 12 289.16x
Liverpool 11 5.11x
Margate St John Baptist 11 58.98x
Dover St Mary Virgin 10 101.42x
Newington In Elham 10 1724.14x
Plumstead 10 29.46x
St Pancras London 10 4.16x
Peebles 9 216.87x
Melton Mowbray 8 134.45x
Nether Broughton 8 1739.13x
Bilton In Wetherby 7 2916.67x
Broughton In Salford 7 21.62x
Ambleside 6 295.57x
Benwick 6 722.89x
Folkestone 6 30.38x
Harmondsworth 6 324.32x
West Derby 6 5.79x
Westgate 6 21.82x
Bardsey Cum Rigton 5 1515.15x
Barrow In Furness 5 10.38x
Gateshead 5 7.52x
Hackney London 5 2.99x
Penrith 5 52.69x
Prestwold 5 5555.56x
Shildon 5 70.03x
Wootton 5 3125.00x
Althorpe 4 366.97x
Green Hammerton 4 1333.33x
Leamington Priors 4 21.60x
Lowther 4 833.33x
St Peters 4 84.93x
West Auckland 4 123.08x
Deptford St Paul 3 3.82x
East Ferry 3 2000.00x
Linthorpe 3 17.00x
Newbottle 3 61.86x
Nottingham St Mary 3 2.88x
Penwortham 3 178.57x
Skelton In Guisbrough 3 37.50x
Stamford All Sts 3 112.36x
Stockton On Tees 3 7.01x
Toxteth Park 3 2.50x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 2 3.87x
Alston 2 42.19x
Doddington 2 143.88x
Everton 2 1.77x
Gloucester St John Baptist 2 52.91x
Hyde 2 10.29x
Islington London 2 0.69x
Little Ilford 2 196.08x
March 2 31.60x
Minster In Thanet 2 94.34x
Paddington London 2 1.82x
Peterborough 2 9.84x
Thorne 2 54.50x
Acrise 1 454.55x
Ash Next Sandwich 1 44.44x
Beverley St Nicholas 1 41.15x
Charlton 1 14.79x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.42x
Clifton 1 250.00x
East Malling 1 41.15x
Eastbourne 1 4.32x
Hampstead London 1 2.15x
Heighington 1 131.58x
Holy Trinity 1 1.41x
Hythe St Leonard 1 27.78x
Ilkley 1 20.70x
Middleton In Teesdale 1 42.74x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.57x
Nether Seal 1 172.41x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 4.34x
Peatling Magna 1 500.00x
Ramsey 1 21.10x
Sawtry All Sts 1 144.93x
Skellow 1 588.24x
St Lawrence 1 14.29x
Stretford 1 5.13x
Wolsingham 1 12.36x
Wyke In Wetherby 1 666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 10
Jane 9
Sarah 9
Annie 7
Alice 6
Ann 5
Anne 5
Eliza 5
Emily 4
Emma 4
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Hannah 3
Harriet 3
Isabella 3
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Julia 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Rachel 2
Agnes 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Diana 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth.Gertrude 1
Elizth.Hannah 1
Elizth.J. 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Georgina 1
Hanah 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lillian 1
Louisa 1
Margt. 1
Margt.E. 1
Matilda 1
Maude 1
Rebecca 1
Susanah 1
Susanna 1
T.A. 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 24
William 22
George 14
Thomas 14
James 8
Joseph 8
Henry 7
Charles 6
Richard 4
Robert 4
Edward 3
Samuel 3
Wm. 3
Alfred 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Thos. 2
Allan 1
Andrew 1
Archibald 1
Asa 1
Benjamin 1
Chas.Jn. 1
Douglas 1
Ebenezer 1
Edgar 1
Edwd.Wm. 1
Elijah 1
Frances 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Geo.T. 1
Hurbert 1
J. 1
Mathias 1
Nathew 1
Nicholson 1
Oscar 1
Stephen 1
Trevor 1
Victor 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Goodburn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goodburn surname in 1881?

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

How common is the Goodburn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016. That gives Goodburn a modern rank of #16,485.

What does the Goodburn surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "good stream or brook".

What does the Goodburn map show?

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