2000
#24,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 946
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.35
Rare Last name
Godard
A French occupational surname derived from the Old French word "godart" meaning "keeper of livestock, cowherd."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,160 Americans carry the last name Godard. That puts it at #25,558 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 295,478 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Godard 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Godard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 295,478
Census rank
#25,558
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,012 bearers of the surname Godard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25558th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Godard, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.7%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Godard
The surname GODARD originated in France during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French given name "Godard" or "Godhart," which itself comes from the Germanic elements "god" (meaning "god") and "hard" (meaning "hardy" or "brave"). This name was likely given to a child with the hope that they would grow up to be god-fearing and courageous.
The earliest recorded instances of the GODARD surname date back to the 12th century in various regions of northern France, such as Normandy, Picardy, and the Île-de-France. In some ancient records, the name was spelled slightly differently, such as "Goudard" or "Godart."
One of the earliest known bearers of the GODARD name was Jehan Godard, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Rouen in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Renaud Godard, a French knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War during the 14th century.
In the 15th century, the GODARD surname began to appear in records from other parts of Europe, such as England and Switzerland, likely due to migration and trade. One prominent individual from this era was Jean Godard (c. 1455-1528), a Swiss Renaissance scholar and humanist who taught at the University of Basel.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, several GODARD families established themselves in various parts of France, including Burgundy and Brittany. One notable member of this era was René Godard (1564-1633), a French lawyer and judge who served as a counselor in the Parlement of Dijon.
In the 18th century, the GODARD surname continued to spread throughout France and other parts of Europe. One famous bearer of the name was Jean-Baptiste Godard (1775-1825), a French architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Palais Brongniart.
As the GODARD name travelled across Europe and beyond, it evolved into various spellings and variations, such as Goddard, Godar, and Godart. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its French heritage and the concepts of divine protection and bravery.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Godard
Among Census respondents with the surname Godard, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.7%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Godard 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 Godard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.4% · 743
- Black or African American17.7% · 179
- Two or more races5.7% · 58
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Godard
Godard 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
#25,136
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 987
+41 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 412 places
2020
#25,558
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,012
+25 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 422 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,724 | 946 | 0.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,136 | 987 | 0.33 | +41 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 412 places |
| 2020 | #25,558 | 1,012 | 0.34 | +25 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 422 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 Godard 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 | #25,136 | #25,558 | -1.7% |
| Count | 987 | 1,012 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.34 | 2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Godard bearers went from 987 to 1,012 (+2.5% change). The surname moved down 422 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,136 to #25,558.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Godard
FAQ
Godard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Godard?
Name Census estimates that about 1,160 living Americans carry the surname Godard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 295,478 residents.
How common is Godard?
Godard ranks #25,558 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 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 1,012 people with the surname Godard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,160), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 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 Godard.
Has Godard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Godard went from 987 recorded bearers to 1,012. That is an increase of 25 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,136 to #25,558.
What does the Census say about the background of Godard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Godard, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.7%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Godard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.4% (743 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Godard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.4%), Black (17.7%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Godard (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 Godard mean?
A French occupational surname derived from the Old French word "godart" meaning "keeper of livestock, cowherd." 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 Godard (0.34 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 common is the surname Godard?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Godard at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.