NameCensus.

UK surname

Goodrich

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "good ridge" or "at the good ridge."

In the 1881 census there were 617 people recorded with the Goodrich surname, ranking it #5,702 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 642, ranked #8,249, down from #5,702 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Foxton and Methwold. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include The Vale of Glamorgan, Northampton and Eastleigh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goodrich is 746 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.1%.

1881 census count

617

Ranked #5,702

Modern count

642

2016, ranked #8,249

Peak year

1911

746 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goodrich had 617 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,702 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 642 in 2016, ranked #8,249.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 746 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Goodrich surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goodrich surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goodrich 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 423 #5,770
1861 historical 433 #5,944
1881 historical 617 #5,702
1891 historical 557 #6,807
1901 historical 673 #6,475
1911 historical 746 #5,759
1997 modern 678 #7,427
1998 modern 704 #7,445
1999 modern 687 #7,626
2000 modern 691 #7,557
2001 modern 665 #7,662
2002 modern 665 #7,815
2003 modern 663 #7,718
2004 modern 631 #8,018
2005 modern 621 #8,056
2006 modern 616 #8,117
2007 modern 611 #8,238
2008 modern 609 #8,309
2009 modern 632 #8,252
2010 modern 630 #8,466
2011 modern 624 #8,425
2012 modern 638 #8,175
2013 modern 649 #8,230
2014 modern 659 #8,161
2015 modern 656 #8,136
2016 modern 642 #8,249

Geography

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Where Goodrichs are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to The Vale of Glamorgan, Northampton, Eastleigh, Ipswich and Hartlepool. 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 Foxton Leicestershire
3 Methwold Norfolk
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 The Vale of Glamorgan 013 Vale of Glamorgan
2 Northampton 018 Northampton
3 Eastleigh 009 Eastleigh
4 Ipswich 010 Ipswich
5 Hartlepool 009 Hartlepool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goodrich

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goodrich

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

Goodrich is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Goodrich falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Goodrich

The surname Goodrich has its origins in England, believed to have first emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period in the 7th to 11th centuries. It is thought to derive from the Old English words "gōd" meaning good and "ric" meaning rich or powerful, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who was wealthy or held a position of authority.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry lists a person named Godric, which is likely an earlier spelling variation of Goodrich.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which documented landowners and tax records. One notable entry from this period was for a John Godrich, who held lands in Oxfordshire.

During the Middle Ages, the Goodrich family was associated with the village of Goodrich in Herefordshire, which may have derived its name from an early landholder with the surname. The village is known for its imposing Goodrich Castle, constructed in the late 11th century and held by several generations of the Goodrich family.

Notable individuals with the Goodrich surname throughout history include:

1. Sir Henry Goodrich (c. 1480-1553), an English lawyer and diplomat who served as Lord Chancellor under Edward VI.

2. Thomas Goodrich (c. 1494-1554), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the Marian persecutions.

3. Jeremiah Goodrich (1605-1693), an early settler in New England and one of the founders of the town of Wethersfield, Connecticut.

4. Elizur Goodrich (1734-1797), an American lawyer and politician who served as the Secretary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

5. Samuel Griswold Goodrich (1793-1860), an American author and publisher, best known for his popular children's books published under the pseudonym "Peter Parley".

The Goodrich surname has been present throughout various regions of England and has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through British colonization and immigration. While the name has evolved over time, its origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period and the concept of wealth and status.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goodrich families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goodrich 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 145 Goodrichs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.40x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 145 2.40x
Leicestershire 57 8.50x
Yorkshire 54 0.90x
Suffolk 48 6.52x
Gloucestershire 39 3.29x
Norfolk 31 3.33x
Kent 28 1.36x
Essex 27 2.26x
Pembrokeshire 19 9.89x
Surrey 18 0.61x
Hampshire 15 1.21x
Northamptonshire 13 2.29x
Lincolnshire 12 1.24x
Hertfordshire 10 2.40x
Lancashire 9 0.13x
Staffordshire 9 0.44x
Lanarkshire 8 0.41x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.98x
Shropshire 8 1.53x
Wiltshire 8 1.50x
Bedfordshire 7 2.24x
Sussex 6 0.59x
Buckinghamshire 5 1.37x
Cheshire 5 0.37x
Derbyshire 4 0.42x
Devon 4 0.32x
Dorset 4 1.01x
Durham 4 0.22x
Somerset 4 0.41x
Denbighshire 3 1.31x
Warwickshire 3 0.20x
Royal Navy 2 2.78x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.26x
Glamorgan 1 0.10x
Oxfordshire 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 38 Goodrichs recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.24x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 38 23.24x
Kensington London 21 6.25x
Sheffield 17 8.91x
Mile End 16 733.95x
Great Yarmouth 14 18.17x
Hackney London 13 3.83x
Ecclesall Bierlow 12 9.84x
Islington London 12 2.05x
Shoreditch London 11 4.20x
Woolpit 11 514.02x
Ipswich St Peter 10 100.81x
Paddington London 10 4.50x
Cotton 9 857.14x
Hampstead London 9 9.56x
Ware 9 75.31x
Chelsea London 8 4.39x
Cricklade St Sampson 8 321.29x
Ealing 8 14.80x
Great Steeping 8 1454.55x
Maryhill 8 20.89x
Methwold 8 265.78x
Oswestry Town 8 47.82x
West Ham 8 3.04x
Bedford St Peter 7 86.10x
Bethnal Green London 7 2.66x
Cosheston 7 598.29x
Foxton 7 972.22x
Mildenhall 7 89.40x
Mile End Old Town London 7 5.44x
Nether Hallam 7 8.63x
Nottingham St Mary 7 3.32x
Walsall Foreign 7 6.64x
Woolwich 7 9.18x
Aldershot 6 14.45x
Cheltenham 6 6.56x
Croydon 6 3.67x
Hammersmith London 6 4.03x
Kingscote 6 1071.43x
Oldbury On Hill 6 750.00x
Pembroke St Michael 6 215.83x
Sporle With Palgrave 6 397.35x
St Marylebone London 6 1.86x
Tetbury 6 89.29x
Belgrave 5 33.05x
Brighton 5 2.43x
Camberwell 5 1.29x
Sandbach 5 43.90x
Westerleigh 5 187.97x
Aynho 4 344.83x
Bishopwearmouth 4 2.59x
Broughton In Salford 4 6.10x
Cliffe 4 85.84x
Hardmead 4 2105.26x
Holbeck 4 10.08x
Leicester St Mary 4 7.38x
Lewisham 4 3.64x
Northampton Priory St 4 11.72x
Pembroke St Mary 4 16.16x
St Pancras London 4 0.82x
Tenterden 4 54.95x
Upton 4 677.97x
Winterborne Stickland 4 404.04x
Acton 3 8.46x
Aston 3 0.71x
Barnsley 3 4.85x
Brightside Bierlow 3 2.55x
Charlton Next Woolwich 3 13.94x
Fairfield 3 47.39x
Hanwell 3 27.99x
Hengrave 3 731.71x
Hornsey 3 3.92x
Ipswich St Margaret 3 12.00x
Lambeth 3 0.57x
Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd 3 129.87x
Lympston 3 133.33x
Northampton St Sepulchre 3 10.37x
Norwood 3 21.69x
Portsea 3 1.23x
St Maryle Wigford 3 39.95x
Frocester 2 350.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 40
John 27
George 23
Charles 19
Thomas 17
James 15
Robert 12
Edward 10
Alfred 9
Joseph 8
Walter 8
Henry 7
Albert 6
Frederick 5
Harry 5
Arthur 4
Edwin 4
Ernest 4
Wm. 4
Edmund 3
Geo. 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Archibald 2
Isaac 2
S. 2
Saml. 2
Stanley 2
Alexander 1
Benjamen 1
Bertie 1
Chamicey 1
Claude 1
Clement 1
Cornelius 1
Earnest 1
Edgar 1
Edw. 1
Edwd. 1
Eleazer 1
Erastus 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Jerome 1
Leonard 1
Lionel 1
Owen 1
Percival 1
Pooley 1
Wm.George 1

FAQ

Goodrich surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goodrich surname in 1881?

In 1881, 617 people were recorded with the Goodrich surname. That placed it at #5,702 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goodrich surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 642 in 2016. That gives Goodrich a modern rank of #8,249.

What does the Goodrich surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "good ridge" or "at the good ridge."

What does the Goodrich map show?

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