NameCensus.

UK surname

Goodman

A surname referring to a person of moral character or one who is skilled at their occupation.

In the 1881 census there were 8,716 people recorded with the Goodman surname, ranking it #484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,635, ranked #609, down from #484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Kettering and Malvern Hills.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goodman is 12,091 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.0%.

1881 census count

8,716

Ranked #484

Modern count

10,635

2016, ranked #609

Peak year

1911

12,091 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goodman had 8,716 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,635 in 2016, ranked #609.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12,091 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Goodman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goodman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goodman 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 5,790 #480
1861 historical 6,357 #438
1881 historical 8,716 #484
1891 historical 9,760 #451
1901 historical 11,213 #467
1911 historical 12,091 #407
1997 modern 10,902 #567
1998 modern 11,281 #570
1999 modern 11,382 #569
2000 modern 11,141 #576
2001 modern 10,822 #582
2002 modern 11,072 #579
2003 modern 10,817 #581
2004 modern 10,692 #587
2005 modern 10,464 #590
2006 modern 10,455 #592
2007 modern 10,496 #596
2008 modern 10,575 #596
2009 modern 10,737 #602
2010 modern 10,927 #604
2011 modern 10,720 #610
2012 modern 10,611 #603
2013 modern 10,819 #602
2014 modern 10,847 #604
2015 modern 10,709 #607
2016 modern 10,635 #609

Geography

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Where Goodmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Kettering, Malvern Hills and Harborough. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 006 Cornwall
2 Kettering 002 Kettering
3 Malvern Hills 002 Malvern Hills
4 Cornwall 005 Cornwall
5 Harborough 007 Harborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goodman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goodman

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

Professional Periphery

Within London, Goodman is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Goodman is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Goodman

The surname Goodman has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "gōd" meaning "good" and "mann" meaning "man." The name was originally used as a descriptive term for a moral, upright, or virtuous man.

In the early days, surnames were often occupational or descriptive, and Goodman was likely bestowed upon individuals who were seen as exemplary members of their community. The name appeared in various early records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a William Godeman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Goodman can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a Robert Godeman in Oxfordshire. This document was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by King Edward I.

Another notable early reference is the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which include a John Godeman. These rolls were tax records that provide valuable information about the distribution of surnames in medieval England.

In the 15th century, the Goodman surname appeared in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence between members of the influential Paston family in Norfolk. One letter from 1472 mentions a John Goodman who was a servant to Sir John Paston.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Goodman. One of the earliest was John Goodman (c. 1592-1664), an English Puritan clergyman and botanist who was one of the first settlers of Newbury, Massachusetts.

Another prominent figure was Benjamin Goodman (1839-1893), an English agricultural chemist and former president of the Royal Agricultural Society. He made significant contributions to the understanding of soil fertility and crop nutrition.

In the literary world, Walter Goodman (1838-1912) was a renowned English novelist and playwright, best known for his works "The Wonderful Visit" and "The Divorce of Lady Russell."

On the artistic front, John Goodman (1909-1980) was a highly acclaimed American painter and printmaker, celebrated for his abstract expressionist works and his influential role as a teacher at the Art Students League of New York.

Finally, Benny Goodman (1909-1986), known as the "King of Swing," was an American clarinetist and bandleader who played a pivotal role in the development and popularization of swing music during the 1930s and 1940s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goodman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goodman 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 1,336 Goodmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.57x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,336 1.57x
Leicestershire 601 6.36x
Surrey 589 1.42x
Northamptonshire 500 6.24x
Lancashire 470 0.46x
Warwickshire 452 2.10x
Yorkshire 423 0.50x
Cornwall 343 3.55x
Bedfordshire 311 7.05x
Kent 309 1.06x
Staffordshire 292 1.01x
Devon 261 1.47x
Worcestershire 252 2.26x
Buckinghamshire 245 4.75x
Essex 175 1.04x
Lincolnshire 162 1.19x
Hertfordshire 137 2.33x
Durham 127 0.50x
Hampshire 127 0.73x
Somerset 122 0.89x
Berkshire 114 1.78x
Gloucestershire 110 0.66x
Derbyshire 104 0.78x
Norfolk 104 0.79x
Nottinghamshire 98 0.85x
Cambridgeshire 97 1.80x
Wiltshire 96 1.27x
Shropshire 81 1.10x
Sussex 76 0.53x
Glamorgan 72 0.49x
Oxfordshire 68 1.29x
Lanarkshire 61 0.22x
Herefordshire 52 1.49x
Huntingdonshire 48 2.84x
Suffolk 44 0.42x
Cheshire 39 0.21x
Northumberland 32 0.25x
Denbighshire 21 0.65x
Caernarfonshire 15 0.44x
Midlothian 15 0.13x
Flintshire 13 0.57x
Rutland 13 2.08x
Channel Islands 12 0.48x
Royal Navy 11 1.08x
Dorset 10 0.18x
Monmouthshire 10 0.16x
Montgomeryshire 10 0.51x
Westmorland 10 0.53x
East Lothian 9 0.80x
Kirkcudbrightshire 8 0.65x
Perthshire 8 0.21x
Renfrewshire 8 0.12x
Angus 6 0.08x
Cardiganshire 5 0.24x
Merionethshire 5 0.32x
Ayrshire 4 0.06x
Inverness-shire 4 0.16x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.03x
Anglesey 1 0.07x
Brecknockshire 1 0.06x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.03x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.14x
Cumberland 1 0.01x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.04x
Roxburghshire 1 0.06x
Stirlingshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 182 Goodmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.20x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 182 2.20x
Leicester St Margaret 176 7.64x
Birmingham 143 2.00x
Aston 131 2.21x
Lambeth 113 1.52x
Hackney London 98 2.05x
St Pancras London 89 1.30x
Wellingborough 81 20.09x
Bermondsey 72 2.84x
Deptford St Paul 69 3.08x
Liverpool 65 1.06x
Leeds 63 1.32x
Newington 62 1.97x
Kensington London 61 1.29x
West Ham 59 1.59x
Camberwell 55 1.01x
Paddington London 51 1.63x
Stoke Damerel 50 4.03x
Wandsworth 48 5.85x
St Marylebone London 46 1.01x
Lower Mitton 45 45.88x
Shoreditch London 44 1.19x
Hammersmith London 42 2.00x
Spitalfields London 40 6.24x
Chelsea London 38 1.48x
Portsea 38 1.11x
Walsall Foreign 38 2.56x
Peterborough 37 6.37x
Bromley London 36 1.92x
Chadderton 36 7.28x
Kingswinford 36 3.45x
Luton 36 4.71x
Wolverhampton 35 1.58x
Battersea 34 1.08x
Kettering 34 10.48x
Leicester St Mary 34 4.45x
Newport Pagnell 34 31.55x
Northampton St Giles 34 11.13x
Croydon 33 1.43x
Manchester 33 0.73x
Plymouth St Andrew 33 2.41x
Brighton 32 1.10x
Stockton On Tees 32 2.62x
Wigston Magna 32 25.53x
Bow London 31 2.86x
Mile End Old Town London 31 1.71x
Bethnal Green London 30 0.81x
Ealing 30 3.94x
Hillmorton 30 78.25x
Merthyr Tydfil 30 2.10x
St George In East London 30 3.74x
Taunton St James 30 14.99x
Whitechapel London 30 3.57x
Oldham 29 0.89x
St George Hanover Square 29 1.93x
Edgbaston 28 4.20x
Poplar London 28 1.74x
Rickmansworth 28 17.31x
Hillingdon 27 9.94x
North Crawley 27 132.35x
Northampton All Sts 27 9.92x
Southwark St George Martyr 27 1.57x
Water Eaton 27 372.93x
Kempston 26 25.95x
Westbury On Trym 26 4.59x
Gateshead 25 1.32x
Clifton 24 2.84x
Hulme 24 1.14x
Marston Moretaine 24 69.77x
North Leigh 24 125.39x
St Luke London 24 1.76x
Swindon 24 4.10x
Chorlton On Medlock 23 1.43x
Great Barford 23 100.04x
Leighton Buzzard 23 12.11x
West Derby 23 0.78x
Dudley 22 1.63x
Lewisham 22 1.42x
Wednesbury 22 3.06x
West Bromwich 22 1.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 543
Elizabeth 338
Sarah 302
Jane 163
Ann 156
Annie 144
Emma 144
Eliza 130
Ellen 127
Alice 126
Emily 112
Louisa 80
Hannah 64
Harriet 63
Charlotte 62
Florence 59
Fanny 58
Martha 58
Edith 54
Catherine 48
Kate 47
Ada 46
Rose 44
Clara 43
Margaret 42
Maria 42
Caroline 39
Rebecca 38
Lucy 35
Susan 33
Agnes 30
Anne 30
Frances 23
Julia 23
Esther 22
Sophia 22
Elizth. 21
Harriett 21
Amelia 20
Minnie 20
Gertrude 19
Amy 18
Ethel 18
Matilda 18
Ruth 18
Jessie 17
Bessie 16
Isabella 16
Betsy 15
Eleanor 15

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 542
John 500
Thomas 314
George 305
James 243
Charles 185
Henry 183
Joseph 151
Frederick 102
Alfred 99
Edward 98
Arthur 95
Samuel 84
Robert 75
Richard 70
Walter 67
Albert 55
Harry 55
David 30
Edwin 28
Francis 25
Frank 25
Herbert 25
Ernest 22
Benjamin 20
Fred 19
Daniel 18
Isaac 17
Wm. 17
Thos. 16
Chas. 15
Abraham 12
Peter 12
Tom 12
Harris 11
Michael 11
Christopher 10
Lewis 10
Percy 10
Fredrick 9
Geo. 9
Jas. 9
Louis 9
Sidney 9
Stephen 9
Andrew 8
Edmund 8
Harold 8
Jacob 8
Leonard 8

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Goodman households.

FAQ

Goodman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goodman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8,716 people were recorded with the Goodman surname. That placed it at #484 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goodman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,635 in 2016. That gives Goodman a modern rank of #609.

What does the Goodman surname mean?

A surname referring to a person of moral character or one who is skilled at their occupation.

What does the Goodman map show?

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