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

Goodly, 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 Goodly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goodly in America

Goodly is the 69996th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goodly surname appeared 280 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 Goodly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goodly 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 Goodly

The surname Goodly is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "godlic," which meant "divine" or "excellent." This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for someone who was considered righteous or virtuous.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Godliche" and "Godli," indicating its early spellings. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a Robert Godli is mentioned.

The Goodly surname is also connected to several place names in England, such as Goodley in Shropshire and Goodleigh in Devon. These locations likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Notable individuals bearing the Goodly surname include John Goodly (c. 1490-1553), an English Protestant reformer and Bishop of Bath and Wells during the reign of Edward VI. Another prominent figure was Sir Henry Goodly (1571-1627), a member of Parliament and lawyer who served as a judge during the early 17th century.

In the realm of literature, the name appears in the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer, the renowned English poet and author of "The Canterbury Tales." In the prologue to the "Nun's Priest's Tale," Chaucer mentions a character named "Goodly White."

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Goodly surname was well-established in various parts of England, particularly in counties like Shropshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire. Families with this name played roles in local affairs and contributed to the historical fabric of their communities.

Another noteworthy individual was Thomas Goodly (1592-1674), an English clergyman and controversialist who was involved in the religious debates of his time. Additionally, the name appears in records from the American colonies, indicating that individuals with the Goodly surname were among the early settlers in the New World.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goodly

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

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

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

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