Godson
A child for whom one sponsors at baptism.
Name Census estimates that about 113 living Americans carry the first name Godson. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Godson today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Godson births was 2019 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Godson. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Godson with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
113
~ 1 in 3,033,224 Americans
Peak year
2019
15 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,206
Tracked since 1996
Census
Godson in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 326 people with the first name Godson, which placed it at #27,839 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#27,839
National first-name rank
People counted
326
326 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
91.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Godson
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Godson is Black at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Godson described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Godson at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.1% · 297
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 11
- White0.6% · 2
- Two or more races0.6% · 2
Popularity
Godson: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Godson from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 65 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Godson remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Godson by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Godson during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Godsons live
Origin
Meaning and history of Godson
The name Godson is a compound word derived from the English words "God" and "son", reflecting a deep connection to the Christian faith. It gained popularity during the Middle Ages, when godparents were assigned a significant role in the spiritual upbringing of a child.
In the early days of Christianity, the practice of baptism was highly revered, and it was customary for a respected individual, often a close friend or relative, to sponsor a child's initiation into the faith. This individual, known as a "godparent," was tasked with the responsibility of guiding the child's spiritual development and ensuring their adherence to Christian principles. The term "Godson" emerged as a way to refer to the child who was under the spiritual guardianship of a godparent.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Godson can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in various historical documents and religious texts. One notable example is the Chronicle of the Priest of Dioclea, a medieval manuscript that recounts the history of the Slavic people. In this text, the name Godson is mentioned in reference to a prominent figure from the region.
Throughout history, several individuals have borne the name Godson and made significant contributions to various fields. One such person was Godson Wyllie (1857-1923), a British architect who designed numerous notable buildings in London, including the Savoy Hotel and the Royal Automobile Club.
Another notable Godson was Godson Okafor (1920-2004), a Nigerian playwright and educator who played a pivotal role in the development of contemporary Nigerian drama. His works, such as "The Sycophantic Generation" and "The Midnight Callers," explored themes of societal corruption and the struggle for independence.
In the field of literature, Godson Sofola (1934-1989) was a Nigerian author and playwright whose works, like "The Victims" and "The Natwana Soul," delved into the complexities of traditional African society and the impact of colonialism.
Godson Ntsikana (1780-1821), a South African prophet and religious leader, is also remembered for his contributions to the Xhosa culture and his efforts in spreading Christianity among his people.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Godson can be found in the writings of the 12th-century chronicler, William of Malmesbury, who mentioned a figure named Godson de Bec, a Norman nobleman and landowner in England.
While the name Godson has religious connotations and has been used throughout history, its usage has evolved over time, reflecting the changing cultural and societal norms. It remains a testament to the enduring influence of faith and the significance of spiritual guidance in various communities.
People
Godson + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Godson as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Godson: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Godson?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 113 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Godson going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,033,224 US residents.
Is Godson a common name?
We classify Godson as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 114 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Godson most popular?
The single biggest year for Godson was 2019, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Godson is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Godson in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 326 people with the name Godson, or 0.11 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #27,839 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Godson in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Godson?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Godson appears almost entirely male. Of the 329 people counted with this name, 100.0% were male and only a very small share were female. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Godson?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Godson is Black at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Godson most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Godson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (297 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Godson in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Godson a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Godson in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Godson still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Godson in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Godson can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people share the name Godson?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.