NameCensus.

UK surname

Goode

Derived from the Middle English word "gode," meaning virtuous, honorable, or morally upright.

In the 1881 census there were 3,872 people recorded with the Goode surname, ranking it #1,177 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,353, ranked #1,258, down from #1,177 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harborough, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goode is 5,869 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.2%.

1881 census count

3,872

Ranked #1,177

Modern count

5,353

2016, ranked #1,258

Peak year

1999

5,869 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goode had 3,872 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,177 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,353 in 2016, ranked #1,258.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,382 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Goode surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goode surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goode 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 2,582 #1,143
1861 historical 2,231 #1,320
1881 historical 3,872 #1,177
1891 historical 4,016 #1,191
1901 historical 5,019 #1,118
1911 historical 5,382 #967
1997 modern 5,545 #1,175
1998 modern 5,782 #1,173
1999 modern 5,869 #1,159
2000 modern 5,701 #1,193
2001 modern 5,624 #1,180
2002 modern 5,748 #1,179
2003 modern 5,571 #1,183
2004 modern 5,615 #1,167
2005 modern 5,523 #1,169
2006 modern 5,485 #1,182
2007 modern 5,479 #1,190
2008 modern 5,531 #1,187
2009 modern 5,607 #1,204
2010 modern 5,619 #1,231
2011 modern 5,546 #1,229
2012 modern 5,447 #1,228
2013 modern 5,512 #1,235
2014 modern 5,502 #1,239
2015 modern 5,412 #1,248
2016 modern 5,353 #1,258

Geography

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Where Goodes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harborough, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Kettering and Gedling. 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 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
3 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harborough 007 Harborough
2 Blaenau Gwent 005 Blaenau Gwent
3 Torfaen 002 Torfaen
4 Kettering 005 Kettering
5 Gedling 015 Gedling

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goode

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goode

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

Goode 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

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

Meaning and origin of Goode

The surname Goode is of English origin and has its roots in the Old English word "god," meaning good or virtuous. It likely emerged as a descriptive nickname for someone who was considered good-natured or of good character.

The earliest known record of the surname Goode dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gode" in Cambridgeshire. This ancient document provides valuable insights into the distribution of surnames in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "le Gode" and "le Goode," reflecting the use of the Norman French definite article "le" before surnames. This practice was common during that period and signified the transition from descriptive nicknames to hereditary surnames.

One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname was John Goode, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1230. These rolls were financial records maintained by the English Crown, providing evidence of the name's usage in the 13th century.

The name Goode has also been associated with various place names throughout England. For instance, the village of Goode in Somerset may have influenced the surname's development in that region. Additionally, the name could be linked to places like Goodmanham in Yorkshire or Goodrich in Herefordshire.

Notable historical figures with the surname Goode include:

1. Thomas Goode (c. 1597-1677), an English clergyman and author. 2. Francis Goode (1670-1728), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament. 3. Samuel Goode (1755-1830), an English philanthropist and founder of the Christian charity organization known as the Goode Trust. 4. Diana Goode (1925-2018), a British architect and academic. 5. John Goode (1829-1915), an American politician who served as the 23rd Governor of Virginia.

Throughout its history, the surname Goode has been subject to various spelling variations, including Good, Goud, and Gude, reflecting regional differences in pronunciation and record-keeping practices.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goode families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goode 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. Warwickshire leads with 838 Goodes recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.79x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 838 8.79x
Middlesex 507 1.34x
Northamptonshire 274 7.70x
Worcestershire 249 5.04x
Leicestershire 232 5.53x
Gloucestershire 222 2.99x
Staffordshire 213 1.67x
Herefordshire 191 12.32x
Surrey 122 0.66x
Shropshire 104 3.18x
Yorkshire 87 0.23x
Lancashire 83 0.19x
Cambridgeshire 80 3.34x
Kent 66 0.51x
Suffolk 61 1.32x
Oxfordshire 60 2.57x
Essex 59 0.79x
Nottinghamshire 45 0.88x
Buckinghamshire 39 1.71x
Bedfordshire 31 1.58x
Lincolnshire 29 0.48x
Hampshire 26 0.34x
Cheshire 25 0.30x
Derbyshire 25 0.42x
Devon 25 0.32x
Monmouthshire 25 0.91x
Glamorgan 23 0.35x
Norfolk 23 0.40x
Huntingdonshire 13 1.73x
Wiltshire 12 0.36x
Durham 10 0.09x
Berkshire 8 0.28x
Hertfordshire 8 0.31x
Rutland 7 2.52x
Channel Islands 6 0.54x
Flintshire 6 0.59x
Somerset 6 0.10x
Sussex 4 0.06x
Brecknockshire 3 0.40x
Dorset 3 0.12x
Northumberland 3 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.25x
West Lothian 3 0.53x
Angus 2 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.13x
Denbighshire 2 0.14x
Lanarkshire 2 0.02x
Midlothian 2 0.04x
Wigtownshire 2 0.40x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.06x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Radnorshire 1 0.33x
Royal Navy 1 0.22x
Westmorland 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 174 Goodes recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.48x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 174 5.48x
Aston 92 3.50x
Islington London 52 1.42x
Rugby 48 37.21x
Coventry St Michael 47 15.34x
Bromsgrove 45 27.08x
Hinckley 45 45.25x
Kettering 40 27.81x
Hampstead London 34 5.77x
Kings Norton 33 7.45x
St Pancras London 32 1.05x
Whitchurch 32 337.91x
Leicester St Margaret 31 3.03x
Newent 29 76.94x
Bethnal Green London 28 1.70x
Hackney London 27 1.27x
St Marylebone London 27 1.34x
Rowley Regis 26 7.31x
Edgbaston 24 8.12x
Wednesbury 24 7.52x
Westbury On Severn East 24 14.32x
Battersea 23 1.65x
Foleshill 23 22.93x
Handsworth 23 7.31x
Leamington Hastings 23 385.26x
Leamington Priors 23 9.80x
Gretton 22 203.52x
Hammersmith London 22 2.36x
Harborne 22 5.38x
Oldbury 22 9.06x
Coventry Holy Trinity 21 7.38x
Fulham London 21 3.83x
Lambeth 21 0.64x
Leicester St Mary 21 6.20x
Old Stratford 21 38.90x
St Andrewthe Less 21 7.68x
Deptford St Paul 20 2.01x
Kimberworth 20 9.62x
West Ham 20 1.21x
Kingswinford 19 4.10x
Mile End Old Town London 19 2.36x
Twickenham 19 11.72x
Wisbech St Peter 19 15.82x
Burton Upon Trent 18 6.03x
Camberwell 17 0.70x
Hornsey 17 3.56x
Kidderminster Borough 17 5.88x
Northfield 17 18.15x
Shoreditch London 17 1.04x
Belgrave 16 16.91x
Daventry 16 31.80x
Dunstable 16 26.60x
Flaxley 16 96.15x
Fownhope 16 118.08x
Kensington London 16 0.76x
Priors Marston 16 214.77x
Saddleworth 16 5.54x
St George Bloomsbury 16 7.38x
Clerkenwell London 15 1.68x
Clifton On Dunsmore 15 194.55x
Great Malvern 15 14.56x
Much Marcle 15 134.29x
Poplar London 15 2.10x
Neithrop 14 17.84x
Willesden 14 3.93x
Bulkington 13 63.11x
Clifford 13 126.71x
Hardingstone 13 38.29x
Mollington 13 365.17x
Tewkesbury 13 19.64x
Balsall 12 80.54x
Barkby 12 147.24x
Bilton 12 54.60x
Cheltenham 12 2.10x
Great Bowden 12 31.47x
Hillmorton 12 70.55x
Horninglow 12 19.96x
Limehouse London 12 2.89x
Lubenham 12 157.07x
Rudford 12 427.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 233
Elizabeth 150
Sarah 150
Eliza 82
Emma 78
Ann 73
Annie 72
Ellen 63
Alice 57
Jane 52
Emily 42
Hannah 38
Fanny 34
Maria 32
Charlotte 31
Edith 31
Florence 29
Martha 28
Louisa 25
Clara 22
Lucy 22
Caroline 21
Ada 20
Harriet 20
Margaret 20
Kate 19
Agnes 16
Catherine 16
Harriett 16
Rose 15
Anne 14
Frances 14
Selina 13
Matilda 12
Susan 12
Amy 11
Esther 10
Minnie 10
Lizzie 9
Rebecca 9
Gertrude 8
Jessie 8
Julia 8
Sophia 8
Amelia 7
Elizth. 7
E. 6
Ethel 6
Georgina 6
Jemima 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 262
John 214
Thomas 156
George 142
Henry 91
James 91
Charles 81
Joseph 75
Edward 49
Samuel 44
Walter 42
Arthur 39
Alfred 38
Albert 30
Frederick 25
Frank 22
Harry 21
Richard 21
Robert 21
Edwin 18
Herbert 18
Ernest 17
Tom 15
Benjamin 14
David 13
Francis 12
Job 12
Thos. 10
Wm. 9
Fred 8
Daniel 6
Isaac 6
Abraham 5
Amos 5
Fredk. 5
Peter 5
Fredrick 4
Geo. 4
Jesse 4
Lewis 4
Mark 4
Nathaniel 4
Earnest 3
Edgar 3
Jacob 3
Jeremiah 3
Jonah 3
Percy 3
Phillip 3
Reuben 3

FAQ

Goode surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goode surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,872 people were recorded with the Goode surname. That placed it at #1,177 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goode surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,353 in 2016. That gives Goode a modern rank of #1,258.

What does the Goode surname mean?

Derived from the Middle English word "gode," meaning virtuous, honorable, or morally upright.

What does the Goode map show?

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