UK surname
An English surname derived from the words "good" and "wine", possibly originally describing a winemaker or someone associated with winemaking.
In the 1881 census there were 123 people recorded with the Goodwyn surname, ranking it #17,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 47, ranked #35,069, down from #17,506 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Leiston with Sizewell and Woodbridge. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goodwyn is 155 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 61.8%.
1881 census count
123
Ranked #17,506
Modern count
47
2016, ranked #35,069
Peak year
1851
155 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Goodwyn surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Goodwyn surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 155 | #12,604 |
| 1861 | historical | 122 | #18,036 |
| 1881 | historical | 123 | #17,506 |
| 1891 | historical | 118 | #21,540 |
| 1901 | historical | 129 | #19,735 |
| 1911 | historical | 150 | #17,866 |
| 1997 | modern | 66 | #31,038 |
| 1998 | modern | 60 | #31,931 |
| 1999 | modern | 56 | #32,461 |
| 2000 | modern | 56 | #32,514 |
| 2001 | modern | 58 | #32,180 |
| 2002 | modern | 54 | #32,927 |
| 2003 | modern | 49 | #33,456 |
| 2004 | modern | 55 | #33,154 |
| 2005 | modern | 54 | #33,433 |
| 2006 | modern | 51 | #33,992 |
| 2007 | modern | 50 | #34,347 |
| 2008 | modern | 44 | #34,865 |
| 2009 | modern | 45 | #34,972 |
| 2010 | modern | 49 | #34,886 |
| 2011 | modern | 46 | #35,047 |
| 2012 | modern | 47 | #34,992 |
| 2013 | modern | 45 | #35,167 |
| 2014 | modern | 45 | #35,201 |
| 2015 | modern | 45 | #35,161 |
| 2016 | modern | 47 | #35,069 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Leiston with Sizewell, Woodbridge and St John Hampstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 2 | Leiston with Sizewell | Suffolk |
| 3 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 4 | Woodbridge | Suffolk |
| 5 | St John Hampstead | London (North Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Goodwyn surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Goodwyn, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Goodwyn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Goodwyn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Goodwyn is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Goodwyn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Goodwyn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Goodwyn has its origins in the English counties of Devon and Somerset, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "gode" meaning good and "wine" meaning friend, thus translating to "good friend" or "good companion". The earliest known spelling variations include Godwine, Godwyne, and Godewyn.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Devonshire from 1198, where a Richard Godwine is mentioned. Another early record is the Feet of Fines for Somerset in 1243, which lists a Walter Godwyne.
The Goodwyn name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Devon in 1327, indicating the family's presence in the region during the medieval period. In the 15th century, the name was associated with the village of Goodwyn's Close in Somerset, suggesting a possible connection to a place name.
Notable individuals bearing the Goodwyn surname throughout history include Sir Francis Goodwyn (1584-1634), an English politician who served as Member of Parliament for Bath. John Goodwyn (1594-1664) was a prominent Puritan clergyman and one of the authors of the Westminster Confession of Faith.
Another notable figure was Thomas Goodwyn (1634-1700), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works. In the 18th century, Caleb Goodwyn (1717-1789) was a renowned English surveyor and cartographer, known for his detailed maps of the South West of England.
During the 19th century, Sir Edmund Goodwyn (1810-1885) was a British naval officer and hydrographer who made significant contributions to the mapping of the coastlines of Australia and New Zealand.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goodwyn surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Suffolk leads with 39 Goodwyns recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.69x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Suffolk | 39 | 26.69x |
| Middlesex | 32 | 2.67x |
| Norfolk | 16 | 8.67x |
| Devon | 6 | 2.40x |
| Surrey | 6 | 1.03x |
| Staffordshire | 5 | 1.23x |
| Gloucestershire | 3 | 1.27x |
| Herefordshire | 3 | 6.10x |
| Berkshire | 2 | 2.22x |
| Essex | 2 | 0.84x |
| Kent | 2 | 0.49x |
| Yorkshire | 2 | 0.17x |
| Cheshire | 1 | 0.38x |
| Hampshire | 1 | 0.41x |
| Montgomeryshire | 1 | 3.64x |
| Shropshire | 1 | 0.96x |
| Sussex | 1 | 0.49x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leiston in Suffolk leads with 12 Goodwyns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1200.00x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Goodwyn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 10 |
| Alice | 5 |
| Elizabeth | 5 |
| Caroline | 3 |
| Annie | 2 |
| Dora | 2 |
| Eliza | 2 |
| Ellen | 2 |
| Emma | 2 |
| Kate | 2 |
| Louisa | 2 |
| Rose | 2 |
| Agnes | 1 |
| Anne | 1 |
| Catherine | 1 |
| Charlotte | 1 |
| D. | 1 |
| E.M. | 1 |
| Eden | 1 |
| Edith | 1 |
| Eunice | 1 |
| Euphernia | 1 |
| Faith | 1 |
| Fanny | 1 |
| Frances | 1 |
| Isabel | 1 |
| Kathleen | 1 |
| Leah | 1 |
| Lilian | 1 |
| M.O. | 1 |
| Madlon | 1 |
| Margaret | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Martha | 1 |
| Mildred | 1 |
| Minnie | 1 |
| Rosa | 1 |
| Rosetta | 1 |
| Ruth | 1 |
| Sarah | 1 |
| Susannah | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Goodwyn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Goodwyn households.
FAQ
In 1881, 123 people were recorded with the Goodwyn surname. That placed it at #17,506 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 47 in 2016. That gives Goodwyn a modern rank of #35,069.
An English surname derived from the words "good" and "wine", possibly originally describing a winemaker or someone associated with winemaking.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Goodwyn bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.