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

Good, 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 Good surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Good in America

Good is the 981st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Good surname appeared 35,446 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Good.

We can also compare 2010 data for Good 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 Good

The surname "GOOD" is an English name derived from the Old English word "gōd", meaning "good" or "prosperous". The name originated in various regions of England, particularly in the southern and eastern counties, during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "GOOD" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Gode" and "Goud", indicating its long-standing presence in the English language.

The surname "GOOD" often referred to individuals with positive qualities or those who were considered virtuous or morally upright. In some cases, it may have been a descriptive name given to someone with a kind or charitable nature. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational name for a person who excelled in a particular trade or craft.

Notable historical figures with the surname "GOOD" include Sir John Good (c. 1350-1412), a prominent English soldier and diplomat who served under King Richard II and King Henry IV. Another significant bearer of the name was Thomas Good (c. 1609-1678), an English clergyman and writer who published works on various subjects, including theology and natural philosophy.

In the 16th century, the surname "GOOD" was found in various regions of England, as evidenced by records such as the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire (1524) and the Subsidy Rolls of Norfolk (1568). These records list individuals with the surname "GOOD" who were subject to taxation during that period.

The surname "GOOD" has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Goodmanham in East Yorkshire, which was derived from the Old English "Gōdmundes ham" (meaning "Gōdmund's homestead"). Similarly, the village of Goodworth Clatford in Hampshire was originally known as "Godwurde" in the Domesday Book.

Other notable individuals with the surname "GOOD" include Mary Good (c. 1672-1731), an English Quaker minister and writer, and John Mason Good (1764-1827), an English writer, physician, and translator who authored several works on medicine and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Good

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

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

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

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