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

Goodrich, 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 Goodrich surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goodrich in America

Goodrich is the 1838th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goodrich surname appeared 19,487 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Goodrich.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goodrich 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 Goodrich

The surname Goodrich has its origins in England, believed to have first emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period in the 7th to 11th centuries. It is thought to derive from the Old English words "gōd" meaning good and "ric" meaning rich or powerful, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who was wealthy or held a position of authority.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry lists a person named Godric, which is likely an earlier spelling variation of Goodrich.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which documented landowners and tax records. One notable entry from this period was for a John Godrich, who held lands in Oxfordshire.

During the Middle Ages, the Goodrich family was associated with the village of Goodrich in Herefordshire, which may have derived its name from an early landholder with the surname. The village is known for its imposing Goodrich Castle, constructed in the late 11th century and held by several generations of the Goodrich family.

Notable individuals with the Goodrich surname throughout history include:

1. Sir Henry Goodrich (c. 1480-1553), an English lawyer and diplomat who served as Lord Chancellor under Edward VI.

2. Thomas Goodrich (c. 1494-1554), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the Marian persecutions.

3. Jeremiah Goodrich (1605-1693), an early settler in New England and one of the founders of the town of Wethersfield, Connecticut.

4. Elizur Goodrich (1734-1797), an American lawyer and politician who served as the Secretary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

5. Samuel Griswold Goodrich (1793-1860), an American author and publisher, best known for his popular children's books published under the pseudonym "Peter Parley".

The Goodrich surname has been present throughout various regions of England and has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through British colonization and immigration. While the name has evolved over time, its origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period and the concept of wealth and status.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goodrich

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

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

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

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