2000
#13,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Goodspeed
A nickname for a fast runner or messenger, likely given to someone with quick feet or who delivered messages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,422 Americans carry the last name Goodspeed. That puts it at #13,728 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 141,517 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goodspeed 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Goodspeed with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 141,517
Census rank
#13,728
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,112 bearers of the surname Goodspeed in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13728th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodspeed, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goodspeed
The surname Goodspeed is of English origin, originating in the Middle Ages. It derives from the Old English words "god" meaning good and "spede" meaning success or prosperity. The name likely referred to someone who was prosperous or successful.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 13th century. Records from this era show variations in spelling such as Godspede, Godespede, and Goodspede. One of the earliest references is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a William Godespede.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a John Godspede. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332 also mention a Thomas Godespede.
The surname Goodspeed can be traced back to places like Goodspeed in Worcestershire and Goodspeed Park in Hampshire. These place names likely influenced the spelling and spread of the surname.
Notable individuals with the surname Goodspeed throughout history include:
1. Edgar J. Goodspeed (1871-1962), an American theologian and scholar who translated the Bible into modern English.
2. Thomas Waties Goodspeed (1888-1966), an American educator and theologian who served as the president of the University of Chicago from 1944 to 1953.
3. George Stephen Goodspeed (1860-1923), an American entrepreneur and businessman who founded the Goodspeed Machine Company in Massachusetts.
4. Reverend James Goodspeed (1825-1906), an American Methodist minister and author who wrote extensively on religious topics.
5. Eliza Goodspeed (1818-1896), an American abolitionist and activist who worked to end slavery and promote women's rights.
The surname Goodspeed has been found in various historical records across England, including parish registers, tax records, and court documents. Its endurance over centuries reflects the significance and prosperity associated with this name throughout English history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goodspeed
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodspeed, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Goodspeed 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 Goodspeed surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 1,808
- Black or African American5.9% · 124
- Two or more races4.5% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goodspeed
Goodspeed 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
#13,815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,188
+85 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 515 places
2020
#13,728
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,112
-76 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 87 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,300 | 2,103 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,815 | 2,188 | 0.74 | +85 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 515 places |
| 2020 | #13,728 | 2,112 | 0.71 | -76 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 87 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 Goodspeed 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 | #13,815 | #13,728 | 0.6% |
| Count | 2,188 | 2,112 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.71 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goodspeed bearers went from 2,188 to 2,112 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 87 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,815 to #13,728.
FAQ
Goodspeed surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goodspeed?
Name Census estimates that about 2,422 living Americans carry the surname Goodspeed. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 141,517 residents.
How common is Goodspeed?
Goodspeed ranks #13,728 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,112 people with the surname Goodspeed. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,422), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Goodspeed.
Has Goodspeed become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goodspeed went from 2,188 recorded bearers to 2,112. That is a decrease of 76 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,815 to #13,728.
What does the Census say about the background of Goodspeed?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goodspeed, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Goodspeed in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (1,808 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goodspeed appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Black (5.9%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Goodspeed (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 Goodspeed mean?
A nickname for a fast runner or messenger, likely given to someone with quick feet or who delivered messages. 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 Goodspeed (0.71 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 Goodspeed?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.