2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Godsill
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "God's valley" or "God's hill".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Godsill. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Godsill 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.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Godsill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Godsill, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Godsill
The surname Godsill has its origins in England, where it was a locational name derived from the place name Godshill, a village located on the Isle of Wight. The name is believed to date back to the 12th century and is derived from the Old English words "god," meaning good, and "hyll," meaning hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Godsill can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire from 1195, where it appears as "Godeshull." This document was a record of financial accounts kept by the royal treasury in England during the reign of King Richard I.
During the 13th century, the name Godsill appeared in various forms, including "Godeshull," "Godeshyll," and "Godeshille," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that period. These variations often depended on the scribe's interpretation of the name or the regional dialect.
In the 14th century, the Godsill family was well-established in the Isle of Wight and surrounding areas. One notable individual from this time was John Godsill, who was born around 1320 and served as a yeoman farmer in the village of Godshill.
The Godsill name also appears in the Feet of Fines, a legal document from 1432, where a William Godsill is listed as purchasing land in the village of Godshill.
During the 16th century, the spelling of the name became more standardized as Godsill. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Godsill, born in 1545, who was a successful merchant and landowner in the town of Newport on the Isle of Wight.
In the 17th century, the Godsill family continued to thrive in the Isle of Wight and surrounding areas. One prominent individual was Robert Godsill, born in 1612, who served as a magistrate and played a significant role in local government during the English Civil War.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Godsill, born in 1670, who was a wealthy landowner and philanthropist known for her charitable works in the village of Godshill.
In the 18th century, the Godsill name spread beyond the Isle of Wight as members of the family migrated to other parts of England and even to the American colonies. One such individual was John Godsill, born in 1725, who settled in Virginia and became a successful tobacco farmer.
Throughout its history, the surname Godsill has maintained a strong connection to its roots in the village of Godshill on the Isle of Wight. While the name has spread to other regions, its origins and meaning have remained closely tied to this picturesque English village.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Godsill
Among Census respondents with the surname Godsill, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Godsill 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 Godsill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino12.0% · 12
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Godsill
Godsill appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,552 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 1,552 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 Godsill 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 | #157,234 | #155,682 | 1.0% |
| Count | 103 | 100 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Godsill bearers went from 103 to 100 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 1,552 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #155,682.
FAQ
Godsill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Godsill?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Godsill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Godsill?
Godsill ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Godsill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Godsill.
Has Godsill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Godsill went from 103 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Godsill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Godsill, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Godsill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Godsill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Hispanic (12.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Godsill (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 Godsill mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "God's valley" or "God's hill". 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 Godsill (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Godsill?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.