2000
#96,918
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 174
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Goodkind
A compound surname meaning good-natured or kind-hearted.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 185 Americans carry the last name Goodkind. That puts it at #115,151 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,852,726 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goodkind 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
185
1 in 1,852,726
Census rank
#115,151
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
161
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 161 bearers of the surname Goodkind in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 115151st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodkind, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goodkind
The surname GOODKIND originated in England during the late medieval period, likely emerging in the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old English words "god" meaning good or virtuous, and "cynd" meaning kind or nature. The name was likely initially bestowed as a descriptive nickname for someone perceived as having a good and kind nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GOODKIND can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a Robert Goodkynde. Another early reference is in the Cartulary of St. Mary's Church in Warwick from 1359, where a John Goodkynde is listed.
The GOODKIND name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Worcestershire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire in the West Midlands region of England. It is believed that the name may have originated in one of these counties, possibly near a location with a name similar to "Goodkind" or a variation thereof.
Notable individuals with the surname GOODKIND throughout history include John Goodkind (1615-1673), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Chigwell in Essex. Another notable bearer of the name was William Goodkind (1738-1812), a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War.
In the 19th century, James Goodkind (1811-1888) was a prominent architect and surveyor from London, responsible for designing several notable buildings in the city. Additionally, Samuel Goodkind (1845-1922) was an English businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to various charitable organizations in London.
One of the more recent individuals with the GOODKIND surname was Terrence Goodkind (1948-2020), an American novelist best known for his epic fantasy series "The Sword of Truth." He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and his books have been published in numerous languages and sold millions of copies worldwide.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goodkind
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodkind, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Goodkind 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 Goodkind surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.1% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 12
- Two or more races5.6% · 9
- Black or African American1.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goodkind
Goodkind 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
#99,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 181
+7 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 2,927 places
2020
#115,151
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 161
-20 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 15,306 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #96,918 | 174 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #99,845 | 181 | 0.06 | +7 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 2,927 places |
| 2020 | #115,151 | 161 | 0.05 | -20 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 15,306 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 Goodkind 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 | #99,845 | #115,151 | -15.3% |
| Count | 181 | 161 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.05 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goodkind bearers went from 181 to 161 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 15,306 positions in the national ranking, going from #99,845 to #115,151.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Goodkind
FAQ
Goodkind surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goodkind?
Name Census estimates that about 185 living Americans carry the surname Goodkind. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,852,726 residents.
How common is Goodkind?
Goodkind ranks #115,151 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 161 people with the surname Goodkind. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (185), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Goodkind.
Has Goodkind become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goodkind went from 181 recorded bearers to 161. That is a decrease of 20 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #99,845 to #115,151.
What does the Census say about the background of Goodkind?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodkind, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Goodkind in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.1% (137 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goodkind appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.1%), Hispanic (7.5%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Goodkind (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 Goodkind mean?
A compound surname meaning good-natured or kind-hearted. 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 Goodkind (0.05 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 have the last name Goodkind?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Goodkind on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.