2000
#1,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,700
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.27
Uncommon Last name
Godfrey
From the Old French "Godefroy," meaning "peace of God," an ancient Germanic name later adopted by the Normans.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 32,054 Americans carry the last name Godfrey. That puts it at #1,237 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,693 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Godfrey 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 Godfrey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
32K
1 in 10,693
Census rank
#1,237
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
28K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 27,953 bearers of the surname Godfrey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1237th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Godfrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Godfrey
Among Census respondents with the surname Godfrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Godfrey 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 Godfrey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.2% · 21,018
- Black or African American16.1% · 4,508
- Two or more races4.0% · 1,108
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 886
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 221
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 212
Timeline
Historical Census data for Godfrey
Godfrey 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
#1,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,734
+1,034 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 9.74
Rank movement Down 71 places
2020
#1,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,953
-781 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 9.35
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,159 | 27,700 | 10.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,230 | 28,734 | 9.74 | +1,034 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 71 places |
| 2020 | #1,237 | 27,953 | 9.35 | -781 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 7 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 Godfrey 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 | #1,230 | #1,237 | -0.6% |
| Count | 28,734 | 27,953 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 9.74 | 9.35 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Godfrey bearers went from 28,734 to 27,953 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,230 to #1,237.
FAQ
Godfrey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Godfrey?
Name Census estimates that about 32,054 living Americans carry the surname Godfrey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,693 residents.
How common is Godfrey?
Godfrey ranks #1,237 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 27,953 people with the surname Godfrey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (32,054), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Godfrey.
Has Godfrey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Godfrey went from 28,734 recorded bearers to 27,953. That is a decrease of 781 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,230 to #1,237.
What does the Census say about the background of Godfrey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Godfrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Godfrey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.2% (21,018 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Godfrey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.2%), Black (16.1%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Godfrey (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 Godfrey mean?
From the Old French "Godefroy," meaning "peace of God," an ancient Germanic name later adopted by the Normans. 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 Godfrey (9.35 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 Godfrey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.