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

Godoy, 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 Godoy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Godoy in America

Godoy is the 3070th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Godoy surname appeared 11,690 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Godoy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Godoy 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 Godoy

The surname Godoy originates from Spain and dates back to medieval times. It is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "godio," meaning joy or happiness, and may have been originally given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone with a joyful disposition.

The name can be traced back to the 11th century in the region of Andalusia, southern Spain. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Godoi, Godoy, and Godoi. It is believed to have originated as a place name, possibly from a small town or village that no longer exists.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Álvaro de Godoy, a soldier who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors in the 13th century. Another notable figure was Miguel de Godoy, a prominent merchant and landowner in Seville in the 15th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Godoy name gained prominence with several members of the family holding influential positions in the Spanish nobility and government. Manuel Godoy (1767-1851), a Spanish statesman and prime minister during the reign of King Charles IV, was perhaps the most famous bearer of the name.

In the 18th century, the Godoy family established itself in the Spanish colonies of the Americas, with branches in Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. Juan Manuel de Godoy (1734-1803), a Spanish colonial administrator, served as the governor of Panama in the late 1700s.

Other notable individuals with the surname Godoy include Miguel de la Cueva y Godoy (1582-1647), a Spanish nobleman and military commander, and José Joaquín de Herrera y Godoy (1792-1854), a Mexican lawyer and politician who served as the interim president of Mexico in 1844.

While the Godoy name is predominantly Spanish in origin, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage, with bearers of the name found in various countries, including the United States, Mexico, and Argentina.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Godoy

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

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

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

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