NameCensus.

UK surname

Goodes

A surname derived from the English word "good", likely implying positive qualities or characteristics.

In the 1881 census there were 253 people recorded with the Goodes surname, ranking it #10,980 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 336, ranked #13,583, down from #10,980 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willesden, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wellingborough and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goodes is 347 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.8%.

1881 census count

253

Ranked #10,980

Modern count

336

2016, ranked #13,583

Peak year

1911

347 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goodes had 253 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,980 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 336 in 2016, ranked #13,583.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 347 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Goodes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goodes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goodes 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 168 #11,873
1861 historical 198 #12,114
1881 historical 253 #10,980
1891 historical 255 #12,552
1901 historical 282 #12,145
1911 historical 347 #10,318
1997 modern 298 #13,593
1998 modern 309 #13,612
1999 modern 315 #13,524
2000 modern 329 #13,090
2001 modern 330 #12,893
2002 modern 330 #13,140
2003 modern 319 #13,263
2004 modern 321 #13,284
2005 modern 298 #13,895
2006 modern 299 #13,949
2007 modern 310 #13,730
2008 modern 321 #13,516
2009 modern 317 #13,899
2010 modern 335 #13,645
2011 modern 330 #13,664
2012 modern 318 #13,926
2013 modern 328 #13,842
2014 modern 337 #13,659
2015 modern 328 #13,840
2016 modern 336 #13,583

Geography

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Where Goodes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willesden, London parishes, St Pancras and Sawtry St Andrew, Sawtry All Saints, Sawtry St Judith, Conington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wellingborough and Huntingdonshire. 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 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Sawtry St Andrew, Sawtry All Saints, Sawtry St Judith, Conington Huntingdonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wellingborough 001 Wellingborough
2 Wellingborough 010 Wellingborough
3 Huntingdonshire 001 Huntingdonshire
4 Wellingborough 004 Wellingborough
5 Wellingborough 003 Wellingborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goodes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goodes

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Goodes is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Goodes 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

Goodes falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Goodes is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Goodes, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Goodes

The surname "GOODES" is of English origin, with its roots dating back to the late medieval period, around the 13th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Old English word "god," meaning good or virtuous, and was likely used as a descriptive surname for someone who was perceived as being of good character or morality.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Godde" and "Gode." The name also appears in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 as "Godes," suggesting that the spelling had evolved over time.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname "GOODES" was Sir John Goodes, a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire in the late 14th century. He was born around 1350 and played a significant role in local affairs and governance during his lifetime.

Another historical figure was William Goodes, a merchant and alderman in the City of London during the 16th century. He was born around 1510 and was actively involved in the governance and trade affairs of the city during his lifetime.

In the 17th century, the name "GOODES" appeared in various parish records and documents, such as the Register of St. Mary's Church in Whitechapel, London, where a certain Thomas Goodes was mentioned as a churchwarden in 1638.

During the 18th century, the name "GOODES" was found in various legal and court records, including the Old Bailey Sessions Papers, where a man named John Goodes was tried for theft in 1725.

In the 19th century, the name "GOODES" gained prominence in literary circles with the birth of John Goodes, a renowned English poet and author. He was born in 1826 and published several volumes of poetry and literary works during his lifetime, earning critical acclaim for his contributions to English literature.

While the surname "GOODES" may have evolved over time and spread to different parts of the world, its origins can be traced back to the English counties of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire, where it was most prevalent in its earliest recorded instances.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goodes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goodes 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 94 Goodes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.82x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 94 3.82x
Huntingdonshire 56 114.73x
Bedfordshire 16 12.57x
Essex 14 2.89x
Northamptonshire 12 5.19x
Warwickshire 12 1.94x
Kent 8 0.95x
Oxfordshire 8 5.27x
Nottinghamshire 6 1.81x
Yorkshire 6 0.25x
Cambridgeshire 5 3.21x
Cheshire 5 0.92x
Surrey 4 0.33x
Herefordshire 2 1.98x
Sussex 2 0.48x
Hampshire 1 0.20x
Leicestershire 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Harrow in Middlesex leads with 22 Goodes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 585.11x.

Place Total Index
Harrow 22 585.11x
St Pancras London 15 7.58x
Aston 12 7.03x
Glatton 11 2340.43x
Paddington London 10 11.06x
Kensington London 9 6.59x
Walthamstow 9 51.55x
Ensham 8 1012.66x
Harrold 8 930.23x
Wollaston 8 629.92x
Huntingdon St Mary 7 573.77x
Leighton 7 2500.00x
Willesden 7 30.21x
Conington 6 2400.00x
Mansfield 6 52.36x
Wistow 6 1818.18x
Harrow On The Hill 5 101.83x
Huntingdon St John 5 354.61x
Little Abington 5 2272.73x
St Botolph Aldgate London 5 98.81x
West Ham 5 4.67x
Altrincham 4 42.19x
Huntingdon St Benedict 4 655.74x
Lewisham 4 8.94x
St George Hanover Square 4 9.24x
Westminster St James 4 15.83x
Carlton 3 750.00x
Deptford St Paul 3 4.64x
Eaton Socon 3 150.00x
Fulham London 3 8.42x
Northampton Priory St 3 21.63x
Spaldwick 3 1000.00x
St Neots 3 113.21x
Thornhill 3 42.19x
Bisley 2 363.64x
Chelsea London 2 2.70x
Clifford 2 298.51x
Colmworth 2 606.06x
Fletton 2 128.21x
Glatton Holme 2 740.74x
Hackney London 2 1.45x
Leeds 2 1.45x
Rye 2 50.76x
St Marylebone London 2 1.52x
Battersea 1 1.11x
Beddington 1 21.60x
Broughton 1 131.58x
Cossington 1 294.12x
Enfield 1 6.20x
Islington London 1 0.42x
Mile End New Town London 1 20.58x
River 1 188.68x
South Cave 1 123.46x
St Mary Somerset London 1 2500.00x
Whittlebury 1 238.10x
Yeardsley Cum Whaley 1 93.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 15
George 10
William 8
Henry 7
Joseph 7
Alfred 6
Charles 5
Frederick 5
Arthur 4
Frank 4
Herbert 4
James 4
Samuel 3
Thomas 3
Walter 3
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Matthew 2
Saml. 2
Ambrose 1
Bartholomew 1
Charley 1
Chas. 1
David 1
E.H. 1
Ebinezer 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Enos 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Luke 1
Norton 1
Percy 1
Robert 1
Tom 1
Win. 1

FAQ

Goodes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goodes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 253 people were recorded with the Goodes surname. That placed it at #10,980 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goodes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 336 in 2016. That gives Goodes a modern rank of #13,583.

What does the Goodes surname mean?

A surname derived from the English word "good", likely implying positive qualities or characteristics.

What does the Goodes map show?

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