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

Goodson, 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 Goodson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goodson in America

Goodson is the 2308th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goodson surname appeared 15,820 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Goodson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goodson 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 Goodson

The surname Goodson is of English origin, derived from the Old English personal name "Gōd" and the word "sun" meaning son. It is a patronymic surname, indicating the bearer was the son of someone named Gōd. The name Gōd was not uncommon in medieval England and was likely bestowed as a hoped-for attribute of the child.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Goodson dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, where one Robert Godesone is mentioned. The spelling variations were common, with forms like Godson, Goodsun, and Gudesone appearing in various records throughout the following centuries.

In the 13th century, a William Godessone is recorded in the Assize Rolls of Warwickshire in 1221. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a John Godesone in Oxfordshire. These early records suggest the name was present across different regions of England during the Middle Ages.

The Goodson surname has also been linked to certain place names, such as Goodson's Green in Oxfordshire and Goodson's Farm in Gloucestershire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the Goodson surname who resided or owned land there.

One notable figure with the Goodson surname was John Goodson (c.1592-1664), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Richmond in Yorkshire. He published several religious works, including "The Prodigal Son" in 1622.

Another Goodson of historical significance was Thomas Goodson (1768-1857), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Rear Admiral and was awarded the Naval Gold Medal for his distinguished service.

In the realm of literature, the name appears in the works of Charles Dickens, who included characters with the surname Goodson in his novels "Bleak House" (1852-1853) and "A Tale of Two Cities" (1859).

The Goodson surname has also been associated with notable figures in different fields, such as William Goodson (1804-1858), a British architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London, and James Goodson (1828-1892), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from North Carolina.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goodson

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

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

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

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