2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Godaire
A surname derived from a French place name meaning "good air" or "good breeze".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Godaire. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Godaire surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Godaire in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Godaire, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Godaire
The surname GODAIRE is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. Its roots can be traced back to the Old French word "godard," which means "foreigner" or "person from a different country." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who had immigrated to the region from another area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GODAIRE surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, where it appears in a local census record. The name was also found in several medieval manuscripts from the same era, including a few legal documents and property records.
In the late 15th century, a family bearing the GODAIRE surname is mentioned in the historic town of Rouen, which was a prominent cultural and economic center in northern France during the Renaissance period. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of the country by that time.
One notable individual with the GODAIRE surname was Jean GODAIRE, a French artisan and woodcarver who lived in the city of Paris in the early 16th century. His intricate woodwork can still be seen adorning several historic churches and buildings in the French capital.
Another prominent figure was Étienne GODAIRE, a French scholar and theologian who was born in 1592 in the town of Dijon. He was highly regarded for his expertise in biblical studies and his contributions to the field of religious education.
In the 18th century, a man named Pierre GODAIRE gained recognition as a successful merchant and trader in the port city of Marseille. He was known for his extensive business dealings with countries throughout the Mediterranean region.
The surname GODAIRE also has ties to several small villages and hamlets across France, such as Godaire-sur-Mer and Godaire-en-Vexin, which were likely named after early settlers or landowners bearing this name.
Throughout the centuries, the GODAIRE surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Godart, Godard, and Gaudaire, among others. However, the original form of GODAIRE has remained relatively consistent and continues to be used by many families of French descent to this day.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Godaire
Among Census respondents with the surname Godaire, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Godaire bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Godaire surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 99
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Godaire
Godaire appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,068 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-8 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 5,068 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 9,168 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Godaire surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #137,327 | #146,495 | -6.7% |
| Count | 122 | 114 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Godaire bearers went from 122 to 114 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 9,168 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #146,495.
FAQ
Godaire surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Godaire?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Godaire. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Godaire?
Godaire ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Godaire. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Godaire.
Has Godaire become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Godaire went from 122 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Godaire?
Among Census respondents with the surname Godaire, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Godaire in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Godaire appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Godaire (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Godaire mean?
A surname derived from a French place name meaning "good air" or "good breeze". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Godaire (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Godaire?
Want to know how common the surname Godaire is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.