Explore the Family Name Goodsell
The meaning of Goodsell
1. English (Sussex and Kent): habitational name from Gadshill (Kent) or Goodsoal, in Burwash (Sussex). Godshill Farm in Cowfold (Wyndham half-hundred, Sussex) could be another source, but the farm name may have been derived later from the Burwash surname or Godsell. 2. Probably also an Americanized form of German Gutseel or Gutsell; like 1, these are a nickname for a kindly person (literally ‘good soul’). Alternatively, it could be a shortened Americanized form of South German Gutgsell, a nickname or journeyman’s name, from gut ‘good’ + Gesell(e) ‘fellow, journeyman’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Goodsell in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Goodsell saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it held the rank of 13,560, but by 2010, it had dropped to 14,208—a 4.78% decline. Despite this, the actual count of individuals with the Goodsell surname increased from 2,054 to 2,113 during the same period, marking a growth of 2.87%. However, when considered as a proportion per 100,000 people, the usage of the Goodsell name decreased by 5.26%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,560 | #14,208 | -4.78% |
| Count | 2,054 | 2,113 | 2.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.76 | 0.72 | -5.26% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Goodsell
The ethnicity breakdown of those carrying the Goodsell surname also revealed notable changes over the decade. This data, drawn from the Decennial U.S. Census, shows that the majority of Goodsells identify as White, although this figure showed a slight decrease from 93.77% in 2000 to 91.01% in 2010. The proportion of Goodsells identifying as Hispanic saw significant growth, increasing by 58.50% to 3.17% in 2010. There was also a noticeable increase in the number of Goodsells of Asian/Pacific Islander descent and those identifying with two or more races, with increases of 50.00% and 63.78%, respectively. The proportion of Black Goodsells and those of American Indian and Alaskan Native descent both saw modest increases.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.77% | 91.01% | -2.94% |
| Hispanic | 2% | 3.17% | 58.5% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2% | 2.41% | 20.5% |
| Two or More Races | 1.27% | 2.08% | 63.78% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.66% | 50% |
| Black | 0.54% | 0.66% | 22.22% |