NameCensus.

UK surname

Goodworth

An English surname meaning one of excellent or virtuous worth.

In the 1881 census there were 170 people recorded with the Goodworth surname, ranking it #14,265 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 105, ranked #30,114, down from #14,265 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Silkstone, Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft) and Doncaster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tonbridge and Malling, Wakefield and Poole.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goodworth is 170 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 38.2%.

1881 census count

170

Ranked #14,265

Modern count

105

2016, ranked #30,114

Peak year

1881

170 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goodworth had 170 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,265 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016, ranked #30,114.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 170 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Goodworth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goodworth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goodworth 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 122 #14,966
1861 historical 162 #14,310
1881 historical 170 #14,265
1891 historical 170 #16,816
1901 historical 150 #18,075
1911 historical 144 #18,325
1997 modern 96 #27,490
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 93 #28,711
2000 modern 105 #27,001
2001 modern 98 #27,672
2002 modern 107 #26,849
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 109 #26,607
2005 modern 106 #27,044
2006 modern 100 #28,283
2007 modern 91 #30,061
2008 modern 99 #29,181
2009 modern 101 #29,445
2010 modern 95 #31,000
2011 modern 95 #30,877
2012 modern 98 #30,612
2013 modern 99 #30,934
2014 modern 101 #30,855
2015 modern 102 #30,624
2016 modern 105 #30,114

Geography

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Where Goodworths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Silkstone, Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft), Doncaster, High Hoyland and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tonbridge and Malling, Wakefield, Poole and Mole Valley. 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 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft) Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Doncaster Yorkshire, West Riding
4 High Hoyland Yorkshire, West Riding
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tonbridge and Malling 006 Tonbridge and Malling
2 Wakefield 034 Wakefield
3 Tonbridge and Malling 014 Tonbridge and Malling
4 Poole 003 Poole
5 Mole Valley 010 Mole Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goodworth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goodworth

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Goodworth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Goodworth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Goodworth is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Goodworth 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

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

Meaning and origin of Goodworth

The surname GOODWORTH is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely in the 12th or 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English words "gōd" meaning "good" and "worth" meaning "value" or "worth." Thus, GOODWORTH would have originally referred to a person who was considered to be of good value or worth, perhaps a respected and valued member of the community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GOODWORTH surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a Roger Godworth is mentioned. The name also appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1317, with a reference to a John Godworth.

During the 14th century, the GOODWORTH surname emerged in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire. It is believed that the name may have been associated with certain locations or settlements, as some early records mention place names like Godworth in Yorkshire and Godworth Field in Oxfordshire.

Notable individuals bearing the GOODWORTH surname throughout history include: 1. William GOODWORTH (c. 1460 - 1520), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Salisbury during the reign of Henry VIII. 2. Robert GOODWORTH (c. 1570 - 1645), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. 3. John GOODWORTH (c. 1600 - 1670), an English landowner and justice of the peace in Buckinghamshire. 4. Thomas GOODWORTH (c. 1680 - 1745), a businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire who funded the construction of several churches and schools in the region. 5. Mary GOODWORTH (1788 - 1862), a British author and poet known for her romantic novels and sonnets.

Over the centuries, the GOODWORTH surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Godworth, Goodwurth, and Goodwourth. While the name has maintained its presence in England and parts of the United Kingdom, it has also spread to other English-speaking countries through migration and settlement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goodworth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goodworth 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 127 Goodworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.73x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 127 7.73x
Middlesex 25 1.51x
Lincolnshire 7 2.64x
Surrey 5 0.62x
Hampshire 2 0.59x
Durham 1 0.20x
Gloucestershire 1 0.31x
Lancashire 1 0.05x
Oxfordshire 1 0.98x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barnsley in Yorkshire leads with 24 Goodworths recorded in 1881 and an index of 141.59x.

Place Total Index
Barnsley 24 141.59x
St Pancras London 15 11.24x
Ardsley 9 476.19x
Sheffield 9 17.21x
West Clayton 9 1097.56x
Ackworth 6 476.19x
South Hiendley 6 2857.14x
Winterton 6 659.34x
Bermondsey 5 10.13x
Goole 5 181.82x
Hatfield In Thorne 5 485.44x
Kimberworth 5 54.82x
Leeds 5 5.39x
Thorpe In Balne 5 5000.00x
Whiston 5 632.91x
Huddersfield 4 16.71x
Islington London 4 2.49x
Gomersal 3 39.11x
Holy Trinity 3 7.59x
Kirk Bramwith 3 3000.00x
St Botolph Aldgate London 3 87.98x
Bradford Girlington 2 273.97x
Brightside Bierlow 2 6.21x
Crowle 2 124.22x
Doncaster 2 16.67x
Fareham 2 49.02x
Hackney London 2 2.15x
Hook 2 55.40x
Wheatley 2 350.88x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 2.33x
Dalton In Huddersfield 1 27.17x
Gloucester St John Baptist 1 47.62x
Grantham 1 28.90x
Great Houghton 1 500.00x
Hartlepool 1 14.27x
Hilderthorpe 1 120.48x
Manningham 1 4.94x
Nether Hallam 1 4.50x
Selby 1 29.15x
Shotover 1 833.33x
Tanshelf 1 76.34x
Tickhill 1 95.24x
Twickenham 1 14.06x
York St Giles In 1 64.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Ann 6
Emma 6
Sarah 6
Elizabeth 5
Martha 5
Annie 4
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Jane 4
Maria 4
Laura 3
Anna 2
Anne 2
Hannah 2
Rosetta 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Barbara 1
Beatrice 1
Clara 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Henrietta 1
Katharine 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Margt.A. 1
Marion 1
Marthua 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 11
George 7
Henry 5
Thomas 5
Frederick 4
Richard 4
Geo. 3
Joseph 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
Earnest 1
Fred 1
Gerrald 1
Harold 1
Ike 1
Leonard 1
Lrry 1
Millie 1
Reginald 1
Roger 1
Sydney 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Goodworth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goodworth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 170 people were recorded with the Goodworth surname. That placed it at #14,265 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goodworth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016. That gives Goodworth a modern rank of #30,114.

What does the Goodworth surname mean?

An English surname meaning one of excellent or virtuous worth.

What does the Goodworth map show?

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