2000
#13,596
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,048
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Goodner
An English occupational surname for a person who repairs or sells guns, derived from the Middle English "gonnere."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,080 Americans carry the last name Goodner. That puts it at #15,530 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,786 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goodner 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
2.1K
1 in 164,786
Census rank
#15,530
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,814 bearers of the surname Goodner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15530th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodner, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goodner
The surname Goodner is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "god," meaning good or virtuous, combined with the suffix "-ner," which denotes an occupation or a person engaged in a particular trade or activity.
One of the earliest known references to the name Goodner can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1275, where a certain Richard le Godenere is mentioned. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was a skilled craftsman or artisan, perhaps specializing in the production of high-quality goods.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across different regions of England, including the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1327, which listed a John Godenere, and the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1349, where a Thomas Godenere was documented.
During the 15th century, the surname Goodner began to take on its more modern spelling variations, such as Goodner and Goodnor. One notable example is a certain William Goodner, who was recorded in the Feet of Fines for Staffordshire in 1450.
As the centuries progressed, the Goodner family became well-established in various parts of England, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was John Goodner, a prominent merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 16th century and was involved in the lucrative trade with the West Indies.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in the records of the New World, with the arrival of early settlers in the American colonies. One of the earliest known bearers of the name in America was Thomas Goodner, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and established a successful plantation.
Another notable figure was Samuel Goodner, born in 1662 in Gloucestershire, England, who later emigrated to Pennsylvania and became a respected member of the Quaker community there.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Goodner family continued to contribute to various fields, including agriculture, business, and public service. One such individual was Benjamin Goodner, born in 1785 in Virginia, who served as a respected magistrate and landowner in his community.
While the origin of the surname Goodner can be traced back to medieval England, its bearers have since spread across the globe, carrying with them a rich history and legacy that spans centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goodner
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodner, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Goodner 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 Goodner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.8% · 1,393
- Black or African American12.8% · 232
- Two or more races5.3% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goodner
Goodner 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
#13,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,159
+111 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 371 places
2020
#15,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,814
-345 bearers (-16.0%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 1,563 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,596 | 2,048 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,967 | 2,159 | 0.73 | +111 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 371 places |
| 2020 | #15,530 | 1,814 | 0.61 | -345 bearers (-16.0%) | Down 1,563 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 Goodner 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 | #13,967 | #15,530 | -11.2% |
| Count | 2,159 | 1,814 | -16.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.61 | -16.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goodner bearers went from 2,159 to 1,814 (-16.0% change). The surname moved down 1,563 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,967 to #15,530.
FAQ
Goodner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goodner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,080 living Americans carry the surname Goodner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,786 residents.
How common is Goodner?
Goodner ranks #15,530 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,814 people with the surname Goodner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,080), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Goodner.
Has Goodner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goodner went from 2,159 recorded bearers to 1,814. That is a decrease of 345 (-16.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,967 to #15,530.
What does the Census say about the background of Goodner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodner, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Goodner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.8% (1,393 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goodner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.8%), Black (12.8%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Goodner (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 Goodner mean?
An English occupational surname for a person who repairs or sells guns, derived from the Middle English "gonnere." 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 Goodner (0.61 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 Americans have the surname Goodner?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.