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

Godshall, 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 Godshall surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Godshall in America

Godshall is the 21184th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Godshall surname appeared 1,239 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Godshall.

We can also compare 2010 data for Godshall 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 Godshall

The surname Godshall has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a place name, specifically a location called Godeshala or Godeshall, which means "God's hollow" or "God's valley" in Old English. This place name was likely associated with a particular area where the earliest known bearers of the surname resided.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Godshall can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest documented references is found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, which dates back to 1273. This document mentions a person named Richard de Godeshale, suggesting that the surname was already in use during that time.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where a William Godeshall was listed in 1327. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1381 also mention a John Godeshale, further solidifying the prevalence of the surname in different regions of England.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Godshall throughout history include Sir Thomas Godshall (1490-1558), who was a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another significant figure was John Godshall (1609-1688), an early Quaker pioneer who emigrated from England to Pennsylvania in the late 17th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Godshall appeared in various spellings, such as Godshale, Godsall, and Godsell, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of individual record-keepers.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the surname was William Godshall (1720-1799), who served as a Patriot during the American Revolutionary War. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Militia and participated in several battles against the British forces.

Another individual of note was John Godshall (1786-1868), a prominent farmer and landowner in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was a respected member of the local community and played a role in the development of the region's agricultural practices.

As the surname Godshall spread beyond its English origins, it gained a foothold in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and other countries where English settlers established communities. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references remain concentrated in England, reflecting the surname's deep-rooted heritage in that region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Godshall

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

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

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

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