Explore the Family Name Goodley
The meaning of Goodley
1. English (eastern): variant of Goodliff, from the Middle English personal name Godlif, if male from Old English Godlēof, if female from Old English Godlēofu. 2. English: alternatively, a variant of Godley. 3. Probably also an Americanized form of South German and Swiss German Gütle (or the variants Güttly and Gütler), a status name for a smallholder (see Goodlin).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Goodley in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Goodley saw a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 42,437th most popular name but dropped to the 46,404th position in 2010, reflecting a change of -9.35%. The number of people bearing this surname also decreased from 481 in 2000 to 459 in 2010, marking a -4.57% change. The proportion of individuals named Goodley per 100,000 people similarly decreased by -11.11%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #42,437 | #46,404 | -9.35% |
| Count | 481 | 459 | -4.57% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.18 | 0.16 | -11.11% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Goodley
The ethnicity distribution of the surname Goodley also showed significant changes between 2000 and 2010, as indicated by the Decennial U.S. Census data. The prevalence of Goodley among those identifying as White decreased from 34.72% to 27.89%, while its presence within the Black community increased slightly from 62.16% to 66.45%. Notably, there was a major increase in the Hispanic community, with the percentage of Goodleys rising from 1.04% to 3.05%. Additionally, the number of Goodleys identifying as belonging to two or more ethnicities nearly doubled from 1.04% in 2000 to 1.96% in 2010. There were no recorded Goodleys identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native during these years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 62.16% | 66.45% | 6.9% |
| White | 34.72% | 27.89% | -19.67% |
| Hispanic | 1.04% | 3.05% | 193.27% |
| Two or More Races | 1.04% | 1.96% | 88.46% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |