2000
#12,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,312
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Godbey
Derived from a place name meaning "Goda's farm" in Old English, referring to a settlement associated with someone named Goda.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,608 Americans carry the last name Godbey. That puts it at #12,923 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,424 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Godbey 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
2.6K
1 in 131,424
Census rank
#12,923
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,274 bearers of the surname Godbey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12923rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Godbey, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Godbey
The surname Godbey has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "god" and "beo," which together translates to "good bee" or "industrious one." This likely referred to a hardworking or diligent individual, indicating a possible occupational surname.
The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Derbyshire and Staffordshire during the Middle Ages. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Godeby, Godbie, and Godby, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling practices in those times.
One of the earliest documented references to the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1203, which mentions a Robert Godeby. The Godbeys are also listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire and Staffordshire from the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname was John Godbey, a landowner and merchant from Derby who left a substantial inheritance to his family upon his death in 1379. Another prominent individual was Sir William Godbey, a knight and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War during the 1400s.
The name Godbey can be linked to various place names in England, such as Godby in Lincolnshire and Godeby in Leicestershire. These place names may have influenced the surname's spelling and regional variations.
During the 16th century, the Godbeys were well-established in the county of Derbyshire. One notable figure was Thomas Godbey (1545-1617), a successful merchant and landowner who served as a bailiff in Derby.
In the 17th century, the Godbeys spread to other parts of England, including London and the surrounding counties. Robert Godbey (1612-1678) was a prominent London merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.
As the centuries progressed, the Godbey surname continued to be found across various regions of England, with individuals from this family making contributions in various fields, including agriculture, trade, and community leadership.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Godbey
Among Census respondents with the surname Godbey, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Godbey 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 Godbey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 2,050
- Two or more races4.7% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 61
- Black or African American1.3% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Godbey
Godbey 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
#12,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,379
+67 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 591 places
2020
#12,923
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,274
-105 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,330 | 2,312 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,921 | 2,379 | 0.81 | +67 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 591 places |
| 2020 | #12,923 | 2,274 | 0.76 | -105 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 2 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 Godbey 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 | #12,921 | #12,923 | -0.0% |
| Count | 2,379 | 2,274 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.76 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Godbey bearers went from 2,379 to 2,274 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,921 to #12,923.
FAQ
Godbey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Godbey?
Name Census estimates that about 2,608 living Americans carry the surname Godbey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,424 residents.
How common is Godbey?
Godbey ranks #12,923 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,274 people with the surname Godbey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,608), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Godbey.
Has Godbey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Godbey went from 2,379 recorded bearers to 2,274. That is a decrease of 105 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,921 to #12,923.
What does the Census say about the background of Godbey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Godbey, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Godbey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (2,050 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Godbey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Godbey (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 Godbey mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Goda's farm" in Old English, referring to a settlement associated with someone named Goda. 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 Godbey (0.76 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 have the surname Godbey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.