NameCensus.

UK surname

Goodenough

A surname indicating the bearer's sufficient ability or qualifications.

In the 1881 census there were 851 people recorded with the Goodenough surname, ranking it #4,444 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,343, ranked #4,491, down from #4,444 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Portsmouth, Portsea and St Giles Camberwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Oxfordshire and Swindon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goodenough is 1,511 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.8%.

1881 census count

851

Ranked #4,444

Modern count

1,343

2016, ranked #4,491

Peak year

2000

1,511 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goodenough had 851 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,444 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,343 in 2016, ranked #4,491.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,280 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Goodenough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goodenough surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goodenough 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 471 #5,275
1861 historical 541 #4,857
1881 historical 851 #4,444
1891 historical 996 #4,166
1901 historical 1,145 #4,245
1911 historical 1,280 #3,716
1997 modern 1,418 #4,100
1998 modern 1,493 #4,068
1999 modern 1,507 #4,062
2000 modern 1,511 #4,037
2001 modern 1,473 #4,053
2002 modern 1,505 #4,064
2003 modern 1,434 #4,142
2004 modern 1,416 #4,184
2005 modern 1,364 #4,278
2006 modern 1,356 #4,303
2007 modern 1,374 #4,297
2008 modern 1,399 #4,261
2009 modern 1,418 #4,289
2010 modern 1,439 #4,315
2011 modern 1,420 #4,323
2012 modern 1,376 #4,361
2013 modern 1,384 #4,418
2014 modern 1,377 #4,448
2015 modern 1,362 #4,444
2016 modern 1,343 #4,491

Geography

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Where Goodenoughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Portsmouth, Portsea, St Giles Camberwell and Warborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Oxfordshire and Swindon. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)
5 Warborough Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Oxfordshire 013 South Oxfordshire
2 Swindon 020 Swindon
3 South Oxfordshire 012 South Oxfordshire
4 Swindon 016 Swindon
5 Swindon 023 Swindon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goodenough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goodenough

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

Goodenough 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

Goodenough falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Goodenough

The surname Goodenough has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "gōd" and "enog," meaning "good" and "enough" respectively. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone considered virtuous or of good character.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1212, where a person named Godenough de Wavenden is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have been associated with the village of Wavendon in Buckinghamshire.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Godenow, Godynough, and Godenoghe, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling practices of the time.

The Goodenough surname has been linked to several notable figures throughout history. Richard Goodenough (c. 1540-1601) was an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1590 until his death. Edmund Goodenough (1617-1696) was an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Thetford in the late 17th century.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Samuel Goodenough (1743-1827), an English churchman and botanist who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1808 to 1827. He made significant contributions to the study of botany and was a fellow of the Royal Society.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Goodenough surname dates back to the 17th century. John Goodenough (1592-1667) was an English colonist who settled in Massachusetts in the 1630s and became one of the founders of Marlborough, Massachusetts.

Throughout history, the Goodenough surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Goodenough Island in the Pacific Ocean and Goodenough Township in Michigan.

While the surname may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since evolved into a distinct family name carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goodenough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goodenough 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 131 Goodenoughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.56x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 131 1.56x
Berkshire 94 14.93x
Hampshire 89 5.18x
Surrey 89 2.18x
Wiltshire 55 7.41x
Kent 52 1.82x
Oxfordshire 52 10.04x
Cambridgeshire 39 7.34x
Gloucestershire 36 2.19x
Devon 34 1.95x
Somerset 32 2.37x
Lancashire 27 0.27x
Warwickshire 27 1.28x
Yorkshire 15 0.18x
Dorset 12 2.18x
Essex 12 0.72x
Glamorgan 12 0.82x
Channel Islands 7 2.82x
Lincolnshire 7 0.52x
Buckinghamshire 6 1.18x
Sussex 6 0.42x
Huntingdonshire 5 3.00x
Fife 4 0.81x
Leicestershire 4 0.43x
Monmouthshire 2 0.33x
Royal Navy 2 2.00x
Suffolk 2 0.20x
Cumberland 1 0.14x
Denbighshire 1 0.32x
Hertfordshire 1 0.17x
Norfolk 1 0.08x
Northumberland 1 0.08x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.09x
Worcestershire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 31 Goodenoughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.79x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 31 5.79x
Westbury 28 161.66x
Warborough 22 1105.53x
Buscot 21 1962.62x
St Marylebone London 19 4.24x
Northwood 17 69.42x
Portsea 16 4.75x
Woolfardisworthy 16 632.41x
Aston 14 2.40x
Lechlade 14 414.20x
Newchurch 12 14.73x
West Ham 12 3.28x
Croydon 11 4.85x
Deptford St Paul 11 4.98x
Southwark St John 11 42.87x
Walcot 11 15.29x
March 10 56.21x
Paddington London 10 3.24x
St Peter Cheesehill 10 411.52x
Swindon 10 17.38x
Albury Tiddington 9 1500.00x
Bath St James 9 63.88x
Damerham 9 508.47x
Everton 9 2.84x
Hinton Waldrist 9 1084.34x
Northolt 9 633.80x
St Andrewthe Less 9 14.82x
Bermondsey 8 3.20x
S Stoke 8 330.58x
Sevenoaks 8 34.47x
Speen 8 77.67x
Titchfield 8 61.73x
Folkestone 7 12.61x
Hackney London 7 1.49x
Hampstead London 7 5.36x
Letcombe Regis 7 578.51x
Shoreditch London 7 1.92x
St Andrewthe Great 7 101.89x
St Maurice Winchester 7 97.90x
Abingdon St Helen 6 32.59x
Bideford 6 32.07x
Birmingham 6 0.85x
Bitton 6 41.90x
Christchurch 6 16.09x
Doddington 6 153.85x
Feltham 6 71.60x
Harrow 6 46.80x
Isleworth 6 16.09x
Kensington London 6 1.29x
Lambeth 6 0.82x
Langton Herring 6 821.92x
Leamington Priors 6 11.53x
Lewisham 6 3.93x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 4.27x
Walton On Thames 6 31.97x
Wantage 6 59.76x
Westbury On Trym 6 10.76x
Clerkenwell London 5 2.53x
Holbeck 5 9.08x
Monk Frystone 5 344.83x
Somersham 5 123.46x
St George Hanover Square 5 3.38x
St Mary Cray 5 91.41x
Upton Pyne 5 427.35x
Wellow 5 125.94x
Bradford 4 1.99x
Bradford Abbas 4 273.97x
Brighton 4 1.40x
Bristol St James St Paul 4 7.29x
Clovelly 4 175.44x
Corsley 4 136.52x
East West Challow 4 245.40x
Kingsley 4 303.03x
Leicester St Margaret 4 1.76x
Reading St Lawrence 4 29.70x
Selborne 4 114.29x
St Helier 4 4.94x
St Thomas Winchester 4 32.95x
Stoke Newington London 4 6.12x
West Swallowfield 4 133.78x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 47
George 37
John 33
Charles 29
James 29
Henry 28
Joseph 20
Thomas 18
Frederick 17
Walter 14
Robert 12
Alfred 10
Albert 9
Arthur 9
Edwin 7
Herbert 7
Edward 6
Frank 6
Samuel 6
Edwd. 4
Ernest 4
Harry 4
Benjamin 3
Edgar 3
Francis 3
Joshua 3
Sidney 3
Stephen 3
Algernon 2
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Jesse 2
Matthew 2
Willm. 2
Douglas 1
Ed.W. 1
Edmund 1
Fred 1
G. 1
Geo. 1
Guy 1
H. 1
Hager 1
Jabez 1
Jacob 1
Jas. 1
Jeremiah 1
Jessee 1
Joe 1
Jonar 1

FAQ

Goodenough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goodenough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 851 people were recorded with the Goodenough surname. That placed it at #4,444 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goodenough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,343 in 2016. That gives Goodenough a modern rank of #4,491.

What does the Goodenough surname mean?

A surname indicating the bearer's sufficient ability or qualifications.

What does the Goodenough map show?

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