Explore the Family Name Goody
The meaning of Goody
English: 1. from the Middle English salutation godne dæie ‘good day’, possibly applied as a nickname for someone who frequently used this greeting. 2. possibly in some instances from Middle English god(e) day(e) (or dey(e)) ‘good dairy man’ (see Day). 3. topographic name from Middle English god(e) ‘good’ + hei(e) ‘enclosed plot, field’ (Old English gōd + (ge)hæg), for someone who lived ‘(at the) good enclosure’. Compare Goodacre. 4. variant of Goodeve, from the Middle English female personal name Godyeve, Godive, Godif (Old English Godgifu, Latinized as Godiva). It became confused with another Middle English female personal name Godith (Old English Godgȳth). Alternatively, Goodeve perhaps occasionally derives from Middle English godwif ‘virtuous woman; mistress of a household’, often used as a courtesy title for married women of relatively humble social status. 5. from a shortened form of the Middle English female personal name Godith, Old English Godgȳth.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Goody in the United States?
The surname Goody, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 30,264th most popular name in the United States but fell to 31,960th by 2010, showing a 5.6% decrease. The number of people with the surname also fell slightly, from 730 in 2000 to 722 in 2010, marking a 1.1% drop. This indicates that the proportion of people named Goody per 100,000 residents decreased by 11.11%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #30,264 | #31,960 | -5.6% |
| Count | 730 | 722 | -1.1% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.27 | 0.24 | -11.11% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Goody
Regarding the ethnicity associated with the Goody surname, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there were changes observed between 2000 and 2010. The proportion of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander fell 13.54%, from 0.96% to 0.83%. Those who identified as having two or more ethnicities increased from no reported data in 2000 to 1.25% in 2010. Individuals identifying as White decreased from 82.19% to 79.64%, a change of -3.10%. The proportion of Hispanic Goody's increased by 6.37%, from 5.34% to 5.68%. Black individuals increased as well from 10.41% to 11.91%, a rise of 14.41%. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native population rose from zero reported numbers in 2000 to 0.69% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.19% | 79.64% | -3.1% |
| Black | 10.41% | 11.91% | 14.41% |
| Hispanic | 5.34% | 5.68% | 6.37% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 1.25% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.96% | 0.83% | -13.54% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.69% | 0% |