2000
#4,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,894
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.56
Rare Last name
Goodin
A surname of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from a nickname meaning "good" or "virtuous."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,716 Americans carry the last name Goodin. That puts it at #5,053 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 44,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goodin 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Goodin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.7K
1 in 44,421
Census rank
#5,053
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,729 bearers of the surname Goodin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5053rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodin, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goodin
The surname Goodin has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period, specifically in the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place name, possibly "Goodwin" or a variation thereof.
The earliest recorded instance of the name can be traced back to the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Godwine." This entry suggests that the name may have originated from the Old English personal name "Godwine," which translates to "friend of God" or "divine friend."
In the 14th century, the name appears in various records with spelling variations such as "Godwyn," "Godwyne," and "Goodwyn." These variations reflect the evolution of the name over time and the influence of local dialects and scribal interpretations.
One notable historical figure with the surname Goodin was Sir William Goodin, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in several historical documents from that era, including land grants and legal proceedings.
Another significant bearer of the name was John Goodin, born in 1587, who was a renowned scholar and theologian. He published several works on religious subjects and held influential positions within the Church of England.
In the 17th century, the name appears in the parish records of various English counties, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. This suggests that the Goodin family had established roots in different regions of the country by that time.
The surname Goodin can also be found in connection with several place names across England, such as Goodwin Sands, a treacherous sandbank located off the coast of Kent. This association further reinforces the locational origins of the name.
Prominent individuals with the surname Goodin include Sir Francis Goodin (1612-1687), a renowned military commander who served in the English Civil War, and Elizabeth Goodin (1733-1804), a celebrated author and poet of her time.
While the surname Goodin is not among the most common in England, its historical roots and associations with notable figures contribute to its rich heritage and enduring presence in the country's annals.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goodin
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodin, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Goodin 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 Goodin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.3% · 5,603
- Black or African American7.7% · 521
- Two or more races4.4% · 293
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 200
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goodin
Goodin 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
#4,917
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,153
+259 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 2.42
Rank movement Down 214 places
2020
#5,053
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,729
-424 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 2.25
Rank movement Down 136 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,703 | 6,894 | 2.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,917 | 7,153 | 2.42 | +259 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 214 places |
| 2020 | #5,053 | 6,729 | 2.25 | -424 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 136 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 Goodin 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 | #4,917 | #5,053 | -2.8% |
| Count | 7,153 | 6,729 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.42 | 2.25 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goodin bearers went from 7,153 to 6,729 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 136 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,917 to #5,053.
FAQ
Goodin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goodin?
Name Census estimates that about 7,716 living Americans carry the surname Goodin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 44,421 residents.
How common is Goodin?
Goodin ranks #5,053 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,729 people with the surname Goodin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,716), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Goodin.
Has Goodin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goodin went from 7,153 recorded bearers to 6,729. That is a decrease of 424 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,917 to #5,053.
What does the Census say about the background of Goodin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodin, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Goodin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (5,603 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goodin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.3%), Black (7.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Goodin (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 Goodin mean?
A surname of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from a nickname meaning "good" or "virtuous." 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 Goodin (2.25 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 share the surname Goodin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.