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

Goodrum, 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 Goodrum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goodrum in America

Goodrum is the 11971st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goodrum surname appeared 2,609 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 Goodrum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goodrum 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 Goodrum

The surname Goodrum is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "god" meaning "good" and "rum" meaning "room" or "space." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a spacious or well-appointed dwelling.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Godrume." This entry refers to a landowner in the county of Oxfordshire. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Godrum, Godroome, and ultimately Goodrum.

During the 13th century, records show a John Godrum who was a prominent landowner in the village of Chedworth, Gloucestershire. His descendants continued to reside in the area for several generations, contributing to the spread of the name in the region.

In the 15th century, a notable bearer of the Goodrum surname was Sir William Goodrum, a knight who served in the Wars of the Roses. He was born around 1425 and fought for the House of Lancaster during the conflict.

Another historically significant figure was Thomas Goodrum, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the late 16th century. He was involved in the lucrative wool trade and played a role in the city's governance.

In the 17th century, the Goodrum name was found in various parts of England, including the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. One noteworthy individual from this era was Reverend John Goodrum, a clergyman who served as the vicar of Weston-under-Penyard in Herefordshire from 1672 until his death in 1698.

As the centuries progressed, the Goodrum surname continued to spread across England and eventually to other parts of the world, carried by individuals who emigrated from their homeland. Some notable bearers of the name include James Goodrum, an 18th-century surgeon who served in the British Army, and William Goodrum, a 19th-century poet and author from Warwickshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goodrum

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

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

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

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