2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Goodhope
An English surname signifying optimism or positive expectations.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Goodhope. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goodhope 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Goodhope in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodhope, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.6%. The next largest groups are Black (32.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (13.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goodhope
The surname Goodhope has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "god" meaning good and "hop" meaning hope or expectation, suggesting that the name was initially associated with a positive outlook or optimistic viewpoint.
In the early records, the name appeared with various spellings, including Godhope, Godhoppe, and Godehoppe, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling during that period. One of the earliest documented references to the surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a certain William Godhope.
The Goodhope name has been particularly prevalent in the counties of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, where it is thought to have originated. Some historical records indicate that the name may have been initially associated with a specific location or settlement known as "Good Hope," although the exact details of this are unclear.
Prominent individuals bearing the Goodhope surname throughout history include Sir John Goodhope (1550-1628), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Huntingdonshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was William Goodhope (1640-1712), a renowned clockmaker from Norfolk who crafted several intricate timepieces that are now housed in museums.
In the 16th century, the Goodhope family established themselves as landowners in the village of Ickleton, Cambridgeshire, where they held a manor and significant property. Records from this time mention Thomas Goodhope (1510-1588), who served as the Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire.
Moving into the 18th century, Samuel Goodhope (1725-1795) was a notable merchant and trader who established a successful business exporting goods from England to the American colonies. His entrepreneurial spirit contributed to the family's prosperity during that era.
Another individual of note was Mary Goodhope (1820-1901), a prominent philanthropist and social reformer from Suffolk, who dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the poor and advocating for women's rights.
While the Goodhope surname may not be among the most common in modern times, its historical roots and associations with optimism and success continue to resonate throughout its rich heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goodhope
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodhope, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.6%. The next largest groups are Black (32.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (13.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Goodhope 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 Goodhope surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.6% · 50
- Black or African American32.4% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native13.3% · 14
- Two or more races6.7% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goodhope
Goodhope appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+12 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,430 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-17 bearers (-13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,662 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 2,430 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.9%) | Down 15,662 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 Goodhope 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 | #137,327 | #152,989 | -11.4% |
| Count | 122 | 105 | -13.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goodhope bearers went from 122 to 105 (-13.9% change). The surname moved down 15,662 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #152,989.
FAQ
Goodhope surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goodhope?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Goodhope. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Goodhope?
Goodhope ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Goodhope. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Goodhope.
Has Goodhope become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goodhope went from 122 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Goodhope?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodhope, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.6%. The next largest groups are Black (32.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (13.3%). 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 Goodhope in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.6% (50 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goodhope appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.6%), Black (32.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (13.3%). 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 Goodhope (2000, 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 Goodhope mean?
An English surname signifying optimism or positive expectations. 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 Goodhope (0.04 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 people are called Goodhope?
See how many Americans have the surname Goodhope on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.