2000
#11,557
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,495
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.92
Rare Last name
Godley
From the Old English god and leah, meaning "dweller in the good meadow" or "dweller in God's meadow."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,360 Americans carry the last name Godley. That puts it at #14,020 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,235 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Godley 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 Godley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 145,235
Census rank
#14,020
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,058 bearers of the surname Godley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14020th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Godley, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.9%. The next largest groups are Black (34.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Godley
The surname Godley is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "god" and "leah," which collectively mean "good clearing" or "good meadow." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone residing near a pleasant or fertile clearing in a woodland area.
One of the earliest references to this surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Godlei." This historical record provides valuable insights into the distribution of the name during the Norman conquest of England. The name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Cheshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire.
In the 13th century, the surname was recorded in various forms, including Godeleye, Godlee, and Godley. These variations reflect the evolution of the name over time, as well as regional spelling differences. The hamlet of Godley in Cheshire, first mentioned in 1284, likely took its name from an early bearer of the surname.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Godley was John Godley, born around 1250 in Cheshire. He was a prominent landowner and is mentioned in several historical documents from the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir John Godley (1556-1640), a renowned military leader who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the Godley family established themselves as influential landowners in the county of Derbyshire. Thomas Godley (1608-1679) was a successful merchant and purchased the Whittington Hall estate, which remained in the family's possession for several generations.
Other notable individuals with the surname Godley include John Robert Godley (1814-1861), an influential political figure in New Zealand and the founder of the settlement of Canterbury. He served as the first Superintendent of the Canterbury Province and played a pivotal role in shaping the early development of the region.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Sir Hugh Godley (1847-1928), a British Army officer who served in various campaigns, including the Second Boer War and World War I. He was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force in France in 1914 and later served as Governor of Gibraltar.
Throughout history, the surname Godley has been associated with various notable individuals, from landowners and military leaders to political figures and pioneers. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread to various parts of the world, reflecting the fascinating journey of this ancient surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Godley
Among Census respondents with the surname Godley, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.9%. The next largest groups are Black (34.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Godley 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 Godley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.9% · 1,171
- Black or African American34.9% · 719
- Two or more races4.4% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Godley
Godley 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
#12,362
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,515
+20 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 805 places
2020
#14,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,058
-457 bearers (-18.2%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 1,658 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,557 | 2,495 | 0.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,362 | 2,515 | 0.85 | +20 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 805 places |
| 2020 | #14,020 | 2,058 | 0.69 | -457 bearers (-18.2%) | Down 1,658 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 Godley 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 | #12,362 | #14,020 | -13.4% |
| Count | 2,515 | 2,058 | -18.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.69 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Godley bearers went from 2,515 to 2,058 (-18.2% change). The surname moved down 1,658 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,362 to #14,020.
FAQ
Godley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Godley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,360 living Americans carry the surname Godley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,235 residents.
How common is Godley?
Godley ranks #14,020 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,058 people with the surname Godley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,360), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Godley.
Has Godley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Godley went from 2,515 recorded bearers to 2,058. That is a decrease of 457 (-18.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,362 to #14,020.
What does the Census say about the background of Godley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Godley, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.9%. The next largest groups are Black (34.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Godley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.9% (1,171 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Godley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.9%), Black (34.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Godley (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 Godley mean?
From the Old English god and leah, meaning "dweller in the good meadow" or "dweller in God's meadow." 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 Godley (0.69 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 Godley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.