NameCensus.

UK surname

Goodhall

An English surname derived from a place name signifying a hall of good reputation or status.

In the 1881 census there were 909 people recorded with the Goodhall surname, ranking it #4,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 393, ranked #12,032, down from #4,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Harborne, Garforth, West and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheltenham, Barnsley and York.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goodhall is 909 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 56.8%.

1881 census count

909

Ranked #4,211

Modern count

393

2016, ranked #12,032

Peak year

1881

909 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goodhall had 909 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 393 in 2016, ranked #12,032.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 909 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Goodhall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goodhall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goodhall 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 729 #3,603
1861 historical 784 #3,516
1881 historical 909 #4,211
1891 historical 642 #6,044
1901 historical 496 #8,098
1911 historical 401 #9,262
1997 modern 328 #12,758
1998 modern 360 #12,300
1999 modern 361 #12,347
2000 modern 350 #12,564
2001 modern 353 #12,293
2002 modern 350 #12,620
2003 modern 333 #12,875
2004 modern 353 #12,377
2005 modern 356 #12,219
2006 modern 373 #11,854
2007 modern 378 #11,877
2008 modern 389 #11,723
2009 modern 417 #11,346
2010 modern 407 #11,824
2011 modern 397 #11,921
2012 modern 399 #11,740
2013 modern 391 #12,123
2014 modern 393 #12,168
2015 modern 388 #12,188
2016 modern 393 #12,032

Geography

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Where Goodhalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Harborne, Garforth, West, Batley, Upper and Lower Gravenhurst and Cheltenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheltenham, Barnsley and York. 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 Harborne Worcestershire
2 Garforth, West Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Upper and Lower Gravenhurst Bedfordshire
5 Cheltenham Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheltenham 007 Cheltenham
2 Barnsley 018 Barnsley
3 York 004 York
4 Cheltenham 013 Cheltenham
5 Cheltenham 003 Cheltenham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goodhall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goodhall

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Goodhall, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Goodhall surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Goodhall household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Goodhall is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Goodhall 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

Goodhall falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Goodhall

The surname Goodhall is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from a combination of the Old English words "god" meaning good or virtuous, and "hall" referring to a large dwelling or manor house. This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive surname to someone who resided in a prosperous or well-regarded manor or hall.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273, which mentions a John de Godehale. This provides evidence of the name's existence during the Middle Ages and its potential association with a specific location or place.

The Goodhall surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Goodhall in Hertfordshire and Goodall in Lancashire. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time, including Goodall, Goodalle, and Goodhale.

Notable individuals bearing the Goodhall surname throughout history include Sir Henry Goodhall (c. 1480-1545), a prominent English merchant and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII. Another figure was John Goodhall (1592-1664), an English clergyman and author who served as the Vicar of Stanwell in Middlesex.

In the literary realm, Thomas Goodhall (1633-1691) was an English poet and playwright known for his work "The Dividing of Christianity, or An Apology for the North-Men." Bridget Goodhall (1677-1749) was a notable English midwife who practiced in London and authored a treatise on midwifery.

Moving into the 18th century, William Goodhall (1763-1833) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, achieving the rank of Admiral.

While this surname has a long and diverse history, it is important to note that these examples are drawn from historical records and may not reflect the most up-to-date information on individuals bearing the Goodhall name in modern times.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goodhall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goodhall 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. Yorkshire leads with 322 Goodhalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.66x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 322 3.66x
Staffordshire 92 3.07x
Middlesex 78 0.88x
Lancashire 56 0.53x
Gloucestershire 47 2.70x
Hampshire 41 2.26x
Bedfordshire 40 8.71x
Shropshire 34 4.44x
Cheshire 25 1.28x
Surrey 20 0.46x
Derbyshire 18 1.30x
Warwickshire 15 0.67x
Berkshire 13 1.95x
Essex 13 0.74x
Worcestershire 13 1.12x
Durham 10 0.38x
Lincolnshire 10 0.71x
Lanarkshire 9 0.31x
Sussex 9 0.60x
Leicestershire 7 0.71x
Kent 5 0.17x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.42x
Suffolk 4 0.37x
Cumberland 3 0.39x
Devon 3 0.16x
Somerset 3 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.37x
Monmouthshire 2 0.31x
Northamptonshire 2 0.24x
Oxfordshire 2 0.37x
Wiltshire 2 0.26x
Glamorgan 1 0.06x
Hertfordshire 1 0.16x
Perthshire 1 0.25x
Royal Navy 1 0.95x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barwick In Elmet in Yorkshire leads with 30 Goodhalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 445.77x.

Place Total Index
Barwick In Elmet 30 445.77x
Eccleshill 26 121.61x
Broseley 22 161.65x
Bradford 20 9.40x
Hammersmith London 19 8.70x
Leeds 18 3.63x
Upper Gravenhurst 18 1666.67x
Walsall Foreign 17 11.00x
Batley 14 16.77x
Castleford 14 43.75x
Linthorpe 14 26.70x
Cheltenham 13 9.69x
Harborne 13 13.55x
Ventnor 13 75.19x
Congleton 12 35.48x
Kimberworth 12 24.61x
Shipley 12 26.32x
Bilston 11 18.96x
Hulme 10 4.55x
Islington London 10 1.16x
Brading 9 37.27x
Dalziel 9 29.17x
Gate Fulford 9 43.86x
Heaton Norris 9 15.03x
Mirfield 9 18.66x
Pudsey 9 19.16x
Wolstanton 9 9.90x
Wortley In Bramley 9 12.93x
Aston 8 1.30x
Bishops Cleeve Southam 8 1290.32x
Bray 8 40.90x
Chelsea London 8 2.99x
Dewsbury 8 8.88x
Rugeley 8 37.24x
Sedgley 8 7.20x
Stanton Lacy 8 120.85x
Wakefield 8 11.86x
Westminster St John 8 7.41x
Wolverhampton 8 3.48x
East Ardsley 7 91.98x
Gomersal 7 17.07x
Middlesbrough 7 6.12x
Newton Upon Ouse 7 391.06x
Rastrick 7 28.68x
St George Hanover Square 7 4.48x
Toxteth Park 7 1.96x
Ashton Under Lyne 6 2.61x
Bristol St Augustine 6 21.38x
East Ham 6 18.47x
Gradley 6 107.33x
Ince In Makerfield 6 12.25x
Leckhampton 6 56.02x
Macclesfield 6 6.90x
Southwark Christchurch 6 14.44x
St Pancras London 6 0.84x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 6 30.09x
Stone 6 15.67x
Tadcaster West 6 86.21x
Walthamstow 6 9.52x
Whippingham 6 43.60x
Winchcomb 6 69.52x
Worsbrough 6 23.31x
Betchworth 5 93.81x
Birmingham 5 0.67x
Clophill 5 148.37x
Clowne 5 90.58x
Habergham Eaves 5 5.20x
Hutton Henry 5 90.09x
Leicester St Mary 5 6.29x
Maulden 5 125.63x
Nottingham St Mary 5 1.62x
Sandal Magna 5 38.49x
Templenewsam 5 78.62x
Bedford St Paul 4 12.70x
Bishopwearmouth 4 1.77x
Letcombe Regis 4 312.50x
Newcastle Under Lyme 4 7.55x
Stapenhill 4 19.36x
Whitechapel London 4 4.58x
Yeadon 4 20.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 52
Elizabeth 44
Sarah 31
Ann 20
Alice 17
Martha 17
Emma 15
Eliza 14
Ellen 14
Fanny 14
Jane 14
Annie 12
Hannah 9
Emily 8
Harriet 8
Ada 6
Louisa 6
Margaret 6
Charlotte 5
Eleanor 5
Maria 5
Ruth 5
Amelia 4
Caroline 4
Minnie 4
Catherine 3
Clara 3
Florence 3
Lydia 3
Matilda 3
Rose 3
Susan 3
Adelaide 2
Agnes 2
Amy 2
Betsy 2
Charlott 2
Dinah 2
Edith 2
Elisa 2
Ethel 2
Harriett 2
Kate 2
Lillie 2
Lizzie 2
Lousia 2
Mabel 2
Phoebe 2
Rebecca 2
Rosetta 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 52
John 49
George 39
James 33
Thomas 30
Charles 21
Joseph 16
Henry 14
Samuel 11
Alfred 10
Edward 10
Harry 10
Richard 9
Frederick 8
Robert 8
Albert 6
Arthur 6
David 5
Edwin 5
Walter 5
Wm. 5
Benjamin 4
Frank 4
Herbert 4
Ernest 3
Fredrick 3
Andrew 2
Cecil 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Jas. 2
Jeremiah 2
Peter 2
Timothy 2
C. 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Ed. 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Emily 1
Geo. 1
Heber 1
Horatia 1
Jno. 1
Jno.Wm. 1
Joe 1
Jonah 1
Josiah 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Goodhall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goodhall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 909 people were recorded with the Goodhall surname. That placed it at #4,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goodhall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 393 in 2016. That gives Goodhall a modern rank of #12,032.

What does the Goodhall surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name signifying a hall of good reputation or status.

What does the Goodhall map show?

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