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

Goodlett, 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 Goodlett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goodlett in America

Goodlett is the 15784th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goodlett surname appeared 1,846 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Goodlett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goodlett 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 Goodlett

The surname Goodlett is of English origin, emerging in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gode" and "lyt," meaning "good" and "little," respectively. This combination likely referred to someone of small stature or a young person who was well-mannered or virtuous.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Goodlett can be traced back to the parish records of Staffordshire, England, in the late 1500s. Similar spellings such as Goodlitt and Goodlyte were also found in the same region during this time period.

The name Goodlett has been associated with various locations throughout England, including villages and towns in Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Warwickshire. Some of these place names, like Goodlettsville and Goodlett's Green, may have influenced the surname's development.

In the 17th century, the name Goodlett appeared in several historical records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of Staffordshire in 1666, where a John Goodlett was listed as a landowner.

Notable individuals who have borne the surname Goodlett include:

1. Thomas Goodlett (1784-1857), an English clergyman and author of theological works.
2. William Goodlett (1792-1867), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.
3. Mary Goodlett (1823-1906), an American educator and suffragist from Ohio.
4. John Goodlett (1870-1942), an Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia.
5. Theodore Goodlett (1904-1998), an American newspaper publisher and civil rights activist who founded the Sun-Reporter newspaper in San Francisco.

While the Goodlett surname may have humble beginnings, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, leaving an indelible mark on their respective fields and communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goodlett

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

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

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

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