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

Goodhue, 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 Goodhue surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goodhue in America

Goodhue is the 20285th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goodhue surname appeared 1,311 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 Goodhue.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goodhue 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 Goodhue

The surname Goodhue is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "god" meaning good and "hoh" meaning heel or ridge, suggesting that the name referred to someone who lived on a good or pleasant hill or ridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where it appears as "Godehue." This suggests that the name was already established in the county of Lincolnshire by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various spellings such as "Godhew," "Godhewe," and "Godheugh" in records from counties like Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. This variation in spelling was common in medieval times due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The Goodhue surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Goodhue Manor in Kent and Goodhue Farm in Somerset. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the presence of families bearing the name in those areas.

One notable historical figure with the surname Goodhue was William Goodhue (1566-1611), an English clergyman and academic who served as the rector of Bingham, Nottinghamshire, and was a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Another prominent individual was Benjamin Goodhue (1748-1814), an American merchant and politician from Massachusetts. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and was involved in the ratification of the United States Constitution.

In the 17th century, the Goodhue family played a significant role in the early settlement of New England. William Goodhue (1617-1686) was one of the founders of Ipswich, Massachusetts, and served as a representative in the Massachusetts General Court.

Reverend Nathaniel Goodhue (1674-1756) was a notable minister and educator who served as the rector of Yale College (now Yale University) from 1717 to 1724.

Sarah Goodhue (1788-1859), born in New Hampshire, was a prominent abolitionist and activist for women's rights. She was involved in the establishment of several anti-slavery societies and worked alongside notable figures like William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips.

While the surname Goodhue is not as common today as it once was, its historical roots can be traced back to medieval England, with various branches of the family playing important roles in the settlement of New England and the early years of the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goodhue

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

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

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

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