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

Goddard, 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 Goddard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goddard in America

Goddard is the 2335th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goddard surname appeared 15,599 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Goddard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goddard 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 Goddard

The surname Goddard originated in England and has its roots in the Old English words 'god' meaning good and 'ard' meaning hardy, brave or vigorous. It was initially an occupational name for a prosperous or well-respected person.

The earliest recorded mentions of the Goddard surname can be traced back to the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The Domesday Book of 1086 lists several individuals with variations of the name, including Godardus, Godart, and Godhard.

During the Middle Ages, the Goddard family established themselves in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire. The name was also associated with several place names, such as Goddards Green in Buckinghamshire and Goddard's Farm in Hampshire.

One of the earliest documented Goddards was William Goddard, who lived in the 12th century and held lands in Wiltshire. Another notable figure was John Goddard, born around 1450, who served as the Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1489.

In the 16th century, Robert Goddard (c. 1500-1570) was a prominent merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London. His grandson, also named Robert Goddard (1558-1625), became a successful sea captain and fought against the Spanish Armada in 1588.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, several Goddards fought on both sides of the conflict. One notable Parliamentarian was Guido Goddard (1609-1688), who served as a colonel in the army of Oliver Cromwell.

In the 18th century, Ambrose Goddard (1743-1824) was a renowned English chemist and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of the steam engine and the manufacturing of gunpowder.

Another famous bearer of the Goddard surname was the pioneering American rocket engineer and physicist, Robert Hutchings Goddard (1882-1945), who is widely regarded as the father of modern rocketry and space flight.

Throughout history, the Goddard family has produced numerous notable individuals across various fields, including politics, military, science, and business, leaving an indelible mark on the rich tapestry of English and American history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goddard

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

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 Goddard 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 Goddard 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 Goddard was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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