NameCensus.

UK surname

Goodwillie

A surname indicating a person with a good or benevolent nature.

In the 1881 census there were 125 people recorded with the Goodwillie surname, ranking it #17,335 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 170, ranked #21,801, down from #17,335 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Alloa, KInghorn and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Luncarty and Dunkeld, Raploch and Aberuthven and Almondbank.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goodwillie is 172 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.0%.

1881 census count

125

Ranked #17,335

Modern count

170

2016, ranked #21,801

Peak year

1999

172 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goodwillie had 125 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,335 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016, ranked #21,801.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 164 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Goodwillie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goodwillie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goodwillie 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 80 #19,558
1861 historical 97 #21,503
1881 historical 125 #17,335
1891 historical 136 #19,601
1901 historical 164 #17,144
1911 historical 27 #30,437
1997 modern 167 #19,722
1998 modern 166 #20,329
1999 modern 172 #20,009
2000 modern 163 #20,657
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 159 #21,086
2003 modern 150 #21,669
2004 modern 156 #21,261
2005 modern 160 #20,899
2006 modern 155 #21,477
2007 modern 156 #21,650
2008 modern 167 #20,901
2009 modern 169 #21,190
2010 modern 167 #21,835
2011 modern 160 #22,282
2012 modern 158 #22,460
2013 modern 163 #22,342
2014 modern 169 #22,006
2015 modern 168 #21,971
2016 modern 170 #21,801

Geography

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Where Goodwillies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Alloa, KInghorn, London parishes, Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner and Elgin. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Luncarty and Dunkeld, Raploch, Aberuthven and Almondbank, Sauchie and Prestwick Airport and Monkton. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Alloa Clackmannan
2 KInghorn Fife
3 London parishes London 1
4 Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner Hampshire
5 Elgin Elgin

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Luncarty and Dunkeld Perth and Kinross
2 Raploch Stirling
3 Aberuthven and Almondbank Perth and Kinross
4 Sauchie Clackmannanshire
5 Prestwick Airport and Monkton South Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goodwillie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goodwillie

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Goodwillie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Goodwillie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Goodwillie is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Goodwillie 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

Goodwillie 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 Goodwillie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

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

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Goodwillie

The surname Goodwillie is of Scottish origin, derived from the medieval Scottish Gaelic personal name "Gille Dui" or "Gille Dui", meaning "servant of the black man" or "servant of the dark stranger". This name likely referred to a dark-complexioned or swarthy individual and was later anglicized to Goodwillie.

The earliest known record of the Goodwillie surname dates back to the 13th century in the Scottish county of Ayrshire. In 1296, the name appears in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of documents recording the swearing of fealty to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. One such entry mentions Gillecrist Gilledufy, a variant spelling of the name.

By the 16th century, the surname had evolved into its more recognizable modern form. In 1564, a record from the Burgh of Ayr mentions one John Guidwillie, a merchant and burgess of the town. This is one of the earliest known instances of the name being spelled in a manner closely resembling its current form.

The Goodwillie family was particularly prominent in the parish of Riccarton, Ayrshire, during the 17th and 18th centuries. Notable individuals from this period include Robert Goodwillie (1662-1732), a respected minister of the Church of Scotland who served as the parish minister of Riccarton for over 40 years.

Another noteworthy individual was John Goodwillie (1755-1824), a Scottish poet and author who published several works in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His most famous work, "The Weaver's Miscellany," was a collection of poems and songs that provided a glimpse into the lives of working-class Scots during the Industrial Revolution.

In the 19th century, the Goodwillie surname spread beyond Scotland as members of the family emigrated to other parts of the British Empire. One such individual was James Goodwillie (1833-1906), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for many years.

The name Goodwillie has also been associated with notable individuals in the field of academia. Thomas Goodwillie (1889-1985) was a distinguished American mathematician and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, known for his contributions to algebraic topology and homotopy theory.

While the Goodwillie surname is relatively uncommon globally, it remains a part of Scotland's rich cultural heritage, tracing its origins back to the medieval era and the linguistic traditions of the Scottish Gaelic language.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goodwillie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goodwillie 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. Fife leads with 43 Goodwillies recorded in 1881 and an index of 63.66x.

County Total Index
Fife 43 63.66x
Midlothian 30 19.62x
Hampshire 14 5.99x
Clackmannanshire 12 127.39x
Peeblesshire 8 148.98x
Lanarkshire 4 1.08x
Middlesex 3 0.26x
Angus 1 0.95x
Perthshire 1 1.95x
Roxburghshire 1 4.84x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 17 Goodwillies recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.64x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 17 27.64x
Alverstoke 14 165.29x
Strathmiglo 13 1604.94x
Alloa 12 262.58x
Peebles 8 503.14x
Auchtermuchty 7 769.23x
Burntisland 7 370.37x
Markinch 6 262.01x
Lasswade 5 142.86x
Edinburgh Greenside 3 148.51x
Hackney London 3 4.69x
Penicuik 3 144.23x
Barony 2 2.14x
Cupar 2 68.03x
Falkland 2 188.68x
Glasgow 2 3.05x
Kingsbarns 2 645.16x
Leuchars 2 235.29x
Abbotshall 1 39.68x
Jedburgh 1 49.26x
Kinghorn 1 69.93x
Monifieth 1 26.81x
North Leith 1 14.14x
Perth West Church 1 41.15x
South Leith 1 5.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 2
Catherine 1
Elizabeth 1
Francis 1
Helen 1
Janet 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Frederick 1
James 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1
William 1

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 Goodwillie households.

FAQ

Goodwillie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goodwillie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 125 people were recorded with the Goodwillie surname. That placed it at #17,335 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goodwillie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016. That gives Goodwillie a modern rank of #21,801.

What does the Goodwillie surname mean?

A surname indicating a person with a good or benevolent nature.

What does the Goodwillie map show?

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