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

Goodell, 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 Goodell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goodell in America

Goodell is the 7240th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goodell surname appeared 4,607 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 Goodell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goodell 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 Goodell

The surname Goodell has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "gode" meaning "good" and "hyll" meaning "hill," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a good hill or a pleasing hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Goodell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Godehille." This comprehensive survey of landholdings in England, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that era.

The name Goodell has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including Goodhile, Goodhill, Goodhyll, and Goodale. These variations reflect the fluidity of surname spellings in earlier times, as well as regional dialects and scribal interpretations.

In the 13th century, records show a Henry de Godehull residing in Dorset, England. This early mention of the name highlights its longevity and regional roots in the south of England.

During the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Goodell surname was John Goodale (c. 1500-1570), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as a prebendary of Canterbury Cathedral.

Another prominent individual with the Goodell surname was Jeremiah Goodell (1615-1691), a Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Milford, Connecticut. He emigrated from England to the American colonies in the 17th century, establishing the Goodell lineage in the New World.

In the 18th century, John Goodell (1707-1789) was a prominent American farmer and Revolutionary War soldier from Massachusetts, serving in various military campaigns during the American Revolutionary War.

The 19th century saw the birth of Abner Goodell (1826-1904), an American inventor and businessman best known for developing the core manufacturing processes for the production of vulcanized rubber.

Finally, one of the most renowned individuals with the Goodell surname was Charles Lester Goodell (1926-2016), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative and Senator from New York, known for his principled stance during the Watergate scandal.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goodell

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

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

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

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