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

Goodley, 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 Goodley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goodley in America

Goodley is the 46404th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goodley surname appeared 459 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 Goodley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goodley 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 Goodley

The surname Goodley is of English origin, emerging in the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "gód" meaning good and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing in a woodland area. The name likely referred to someone who lived in or near a particularly fertile or pleasant meadow.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Goodley can be found in the Gloucestershire Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where a John de Godeley is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time. In the 14th century, the name also appeared as Godelay and Godley in various records from Somerset and Devon.

The Goodley name has connections to several place names in England, such as Godley in Greater Manchester, which was recorded as Godeleye in the Domesday Book of 1086. This suggests that the surname may have originated from a specific location before becoming more widespread.

Notable individuals bearing the Goodley surname include Sir Henry Goodley (1572-1638), an English politician who served as Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1618. Another prominent figure was Richard Goodley (1687-1761), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Somerset, known for his philanthropic efforts in the region.

In the 19th century, Thomas Goodley (1815-1892) was a respected educator and headmaster of Christ's Hospital in London, while William Goodley (1837-1911) was a successful industrialist and founder of the Goodley Iron Works in Birmingham.

The Goodley name also has a literary connection through the works of Charles Dickens, who featured a character named Mrs. Goodley in his novel "The Old Curiosity Shop" published in 1841.

These are just a few examples of the rich history and individuals associated with the surname Goodley, which has its roots firmly planted in the English countryside and has since spread across various regions and professions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goodley

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

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

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

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