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

Godsey, 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 Godsey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Godsey in America

Godsey is the 5914th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Godsey surname appeared 5,826 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Godsey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Godsey 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 Godsey

The surname Godsey has its origins in England, with records of the name dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "god" meaning "good" and "ey" meaning "island," suggesting that the name may have originated from someone who lived on a good island or a particularly fertile piece of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Godsey can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1199, where a William Godseye is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been well-established in the region by that time.

The name Godsey is closely related to other surnames like Godwin, Godfrey, and Godard, all of which share the same "god" prefix, indicating a connection to the idea of goodness or virtue. It's also worth noting that the name appears to have had various spellings throughout history, such as Godseye, Godsey, and Godsy.

In the 13th century, a Robert Godsey is recorded as being a landowner in the village of Aylsham, Norfolk. This record provides evidence of the name's presence in different regions of England during that period.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Godsey was John Godsey, who was born around 1475 in Warwickshire, England. He is mentioned in local records as a prosperous farmer and landowner in the area.

Another notable figure with the Godsey surname was Sir Thomas Godsey, who lived in the 16th century. He was a prominent merchant and alderman in the City of London and served as the Sheriff of London in 1583.

During the 17th century, the Godsey name gained further recognition with the birth of William Godsey in 1621 in Lincolnshire. He was a noted scholar and author who wrote several works on theology and philosophy.

In the 18th century, the name Godsey was associated with the village of Godsey, located in Wiltshire, England. This place name likely derived from the surname itself, indicating that the Godsey family had a significant presence in that area.

One of the more famous individuals with the Godsey surname was Sir Edward Godsey, born in 1786 in Somerset. He was a distinguished military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the prestigious Order of the Bath for his bravery and leadership.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Godsey

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

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

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

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