NameCensus.

UK surname

Goodchild

A surname indicating a good, virtuous, or well-behaved child.

In the 1881 census there were 2,919 people recorded with the Goodchild surname, ranking it #1,535 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,866, ranked #1,749, down from #1,535 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Willesden and St John Hackney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Babergh and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goodchild is 4,277 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.4%.

1881 census count

2,919

Ranked #1,535

Modern count

3,866

2016, ranked #1,749

Peak year

1999

4,277 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goodchild had 2,919 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,535 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,866 in 2016, ranked #1,749.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,205 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Goodchild surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goodchild surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goodchild 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 1,834 #1,575
1861 historical 1,953 #1,495
1881 historical 2,919 #1,535
1891 historical 3,358 #1,423
1901 historical 3,762 #1,497
1911 historical 4,205 #1,238
1997 modern 4,061 #1,593
1998 modern 4,236 #1,586
1999 modern 4,277 #1,583
2000 modern 4,224 #1,593
2001 modern 4,070 #1,624
2002 modern 4,130 #1,641
2003 modern 4,057 #1,628
2004 modern 3,969 #1,668
2005 modern 3,905 #1,667
2006 modern 3,914 #1,665
2007 modern 3,920 #1,682
2008 modern 3,927 #1,690
2009 modern 3,968 #1,712
2010 modern 4,034 #1,718
2011 modern 3,983 #1,717
2012 modern 3,909 #1,721
2013 modern 3,963 #1,728
2014 modern 3,981 #1,728
2015 modern 3,908 #1,737
2016 modern 3,866 #1,749

Geography

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Where Goodchilds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Willesden, St John Hackney and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Babergh and Mid Suffolk. 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 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Babergh 010 Babergh
2 Babergh 007 Babergh
3 Babergh 004 Babergh
4 Babergh 001 Babergh
5 Mid Suffolk 011 Mid Suffolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goodchild

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goodchild

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

Goodchild 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

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

Meaning and origin of Goodchild

The surname GOODCHILD is of English origin and it dates back to the late 12th century. It is a descriptive surname referring to a well-behaved or virtuous child. The name is derived from the Old English words 'god' meaning good and 'child' meaning a young person or offspring.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname GOODCHILD can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where a person named William Godchild is mentioned. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1273, where it is spelled as 'Godechild'.

During the medieval period, the GOODCHILD surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk in eastern England. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas.

In the 14th century, the GOODCHILD surname is found in various historical records such as the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327, where a Thomas Godchild is listed. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Norfolk in 1381, where it is spelled as 'Goodechild'.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the GOODCHILD surname was Sir John Goodchild (c. 1470 - 1542), who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the reign of Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was Richard Goodchild (1558 - 1630), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of St. Stephen's Church in Bristol.

Other notable individuals with the GOODCHILD surname include William Goodchild (1796 - 1870), an English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London, and James Goodchild (1848 - 1925), a British geologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossil fish and reptiles.

The GOODCHILD surname has also been found in various localized variants, such as Goodchilde, Godchild, and Godchilde, reflecting the different spellings used throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goodchild families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goodchild 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 674 Goodchilds recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.37x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 674 2.37x
Suffolk 385 11.13x
Surrey 326 2.36x
Berkshire 183 8.58x
Buckinghamshire 181 10.54x
Kent 169 1.74x
Hampshire 160 2.75x
Essex 116 2.07x
Yorkshire 109 0.39x
Hertfordshire 81 4.14x
Durham 69 0.82x
Norfolk 59 1.35x
Cambridgeshire 58 3.22x
Lancashire 56 0.17x
Sussex 55 1.15x
Warwickshire 52 0.73x
Dorset 42 2.25x
Somerset 22 0.48x
Staffordshire 18 0.19x
Cheshire 13 0.21x
Oxfordshire 11 0.63x
Lincolnshire 10 0.22x
Devon 8 0.14x
Glamorgan 6 0.12x
Leicestershire 6 0.19x
Shropshire 6 0.24x
Worcestershire 6 0.16x
Lanarkshire 5 0.05x
Northumberland 5 0.12x
Angus 4 0.15x
Bedfordshire 4 0.27x
Derbyshire 3 0.07x
Gloucestershire 3 0.05x
Westmorland 2 0.32x
Herefordshire 1 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.15x
Renfrewshire 1 0.05x
Royal Navy 1 0.30x
Wiltshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 71 Goodchilds recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.75x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 71 5.75x
Islington London 68 2.47x
Shoreditch London 47 3.82x
Kensington London 45 2.85x
Hackney London 38 2.39x
Tottenham 34 7.52x
Lambeth 32 1.29x
St Marylebone London 32 2.11x
St Pancras London 32 1.40x
West Wycombe 30 128.76x
Kingston On Thames 27 8.12x
Battersea 26 2.49x
Deal 26 31.45x
Ramsgate 25 15.80x
Brighton 24 2.48x
Camberwell 24 1.32x
Chelsea London 24 2.80x
Princes Risborough 24 104.30x
Ashwell 22 143.14x
Badingham 22 336.39x
Manningham 22 6.34x
St George Hanover Square 22 4.40x
Aston 21 1.06x
Birmingham 21 0.88x
Deptford St Paul 21 2.81x
Mile End Old Town London 21 3.47x
Sunninghill 21 70.99x
Monks Risborough 20 242.72x
Moulton 20 405.68x
Cookham 19 28.58x
Isleham 18 109.02x
Langham 18 909.09x
Walkern 18 218.45x
West Ham 18 1.45x
Wycombe 18 14.06x
Bermondsey 17 2.01x
Wandsworth 17 6.22x
Godalming 16 18.36x
Burwell 15 69.57x
Fulham London 15 3.64x
Gateshead 15 2.37x
Habergham Eaves 15 4.87x
Newington 15 1.43x
Bromeswell 14 686.27x
Paddington London 14 1.34x
Portsea 14 1.23x
Sible Hedingham 14 74.71x
Aldeburgh 13 63.48x
Barningham 13 317.85x
Hilgay 13 79.17x
Ryhope 13 22.16x
Shalford 13 84.86x
Bathford 12 127.80x
Benhall 12 198.02x
Bradenham 12 674.16x
Bromley London 12 1.92x
Great Marlow 12 25.89x
Milden 12 689.66x
Salford 12 1.21x
Stradbroke 12 102.65x
Willesden 12 4.48x
Winkfield 12 33.92x
Corfe Castle 11 63.66x
East Bergholt 11 95.16x
Folkestone 11 5.85x
Fressingfield 11 98.65x
Kingsclere 11 41.37x
Long Sutton 11 354.84x
Rochester St Nicholas 11 36.48x
Rotherhithe 11 3.13x
Sonning 11 46.73x
St Luke London 11 2.41x
Thatcham 11 33.48x
Walthamstow 11 5.45x
Wonersh 11 63.69x
Croydon 10 1.30x
Great Yeldham 10 171.82x
Hawthorn 10 366.30x
Hitchin 10 11.31x
Putney 10 7.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 170
Sarah 117
Elizabeth 87
Alice 58
Emily 57
Ellen 54
Eliza 50
Jane 48
Emma 45
Louisa 44
Ann 42
Annie 41
Caroline 34
Hannah 30
Edith 27
Harriet 25
Margaret 23
Martha 22
Ada 19
Charlotte 18
Esther 16
Kate 16
Anne 14
Fanny 14
Maria 14
Florence 12
Frances 12
Harriett 11
Elizth. 10
Susan 10
Amelia 9
Ethel 9
Clara 8
Gertrude 8
Matilda 8
Rebecca 7
Susannah 7
Amy 6
Catherine 6
Flora 6
Lucy 6
Rosa 6
Sophia 6
Eleanor 5
Grace 5
Isabella 5
Jessie 5
Minnie 5
Rose 5
Ruth 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 165
John 134
George 113
James 104
Thomas 78
Charles 73
Henry 62
Alfred 43
Arthur 41
Frederick 38
Robert 35
Joseph 34
Richard 29
Albert 27
Walter 27
Edward 26
Samuel 23
Ernest 20
Frank 19
David 13
Harry 13
Herbert 13
Edwin 10
Wm. 9
Fred 8
Benjamin 7
Fredk. 7
Percy 7
Francis 6
Ralph 6
Geo. 5
Owen 5
Philip 5
Stephen 5
Thos. 5
Alexander 4
Edgar 4
Frederic 4
Fredrick 4
Isaac 4
Leonard 4
Saml. 4
Sidney 4
Sydney 4
Horace 3
Maurice 3
Nathaniel 3
Sam 3
Stanley 3
Tom 3

FAQ

Goodchild surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goodchild surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,919 people were recorded with the Goodchild surname. That placed it at #1,535 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goodchild surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,866 in 2016. That gives Goodchild a modern rank of #1,749.

What does the Goodchild surname mean?

A surname indicating a good, virtuous, or well-behaved child.

What does the Goodchild map show?

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