Find out how popular the last name Godbold is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Godbold.

Godbold, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Godbold surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Godbold in America

Godbold is the 17572nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Godbold surname appeared 1,600 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Godbold.

We can also compare 2010 data for Godbold to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Godbold

The surname Godbold has its origins in medieval England, originating from the Old English words 'god' meaning 'good' and 'bald' meaning 'bold' or 'brave'. It was likely initially used as a nickname for a courageous or valiant individual.

Records indicate that the name first appeared in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. One of the earliest known instances of the surname is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as 'Godebold'.

During the Middle Ages, the name was primarily found in the counties of Essex and Suffolk in southeast England. Variations in spelling were common, with forms such as 'Godbolde', 'Godbold', and 'Godbolle' appearing in various historical documents.

Notable individuals bearing the Godbold surname include John Godbold, a 14th-century landowner in Essex, and Thomas Godbold, a prominent merchant and alderman in the town of Colchester in the 16th century (c. 1520 - 1598).

In the 17th century, the Godbold family established itself in the village of Boxted, near Colchester, where they were influential landowners and farmers for several generations. One notable member was Samuel Godbold (1637 - 1718), a wealthy yeoman farmer and church benefactor.

During the English Civil War (1642 - 1651), Captain Richard Godbold (c. 1610 - 1670) served in the Parliamentary forces and was involved in the siege of Colchester in 1648.

In the 18th century, the Godbold family spread to other parts of England, including London and the counties of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. A prominent figure was William Godbold (1711 - 1790), a successful merchant and banker in London.

As the centuries passed, the name continued to be found primarily in the southeast of England, with some individuals emigrating to the American colonies and later to other parts of the British Empire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Godbold

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Godbold.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Godbold was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Godbold has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Godbold was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Godbold, please contact us.

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