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

Godfrey, 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 Godfrey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Godfrey in America

Godfrey is the 1230th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Godfrey surname appeared 28,734 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Godfrey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Godfrey 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 Godfrey

The surname Godfrey is of English origin, derived from the ancient Germanic personal name Godafrid, composed of the elements "god" meaning good, and "frid" meaning peace or protection. It was introduced into England by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066.

The name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest comprehensive record of landholders in England, indicating its widespread use during the Norman era. Early examples of the surname include Godefrey de Burun, listed in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1166, and Ralph Godefrey, recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls of Shropshire in 1201.

The Godfrey family held estates in various parts of England, including Kent, Warwickshire, and Staffordshire. Notable individuals bearing the name include Sir Edmund Godfrey (1621-1678), a prominent English magistrate who played a key role in exposing the alleged "Popish Plot" against King Charles II.

Another distinguished bearer of the name was Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey (1621-1678), a merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1573. He was instrumental in rebuilding the city after the Great Fire of 1666.

In the literary world, the name is associated with Thomas Godfrey (1736-1763), an American poet and dramatist who is considered one of the first significant writers of Colonial America. His most famous work is the tragic play "The Prince of Parthia."

The Godfrey surname has also been linked to several places in England, such as Godfrey's Cross in Warwickshire and Godfrey's Farm in Kent, reflecting the family's historical landholdings and influence in these regions.

Another notable figure was William Godfrey (1545-1584), an English prelate who served as Bishop of Gloucester and later became the Archbishop of Canterbury, holding this position from 1583 until his death in 1584.

Throughout its history, the Godfrey surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Godfry, Godfrye, and Godfraye, reflecting the influence of regional dialects and evolving language conventions over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Godfrey

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

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

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

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