2000
#4,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,795
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.52
Rare Last name
Gooding
Derived from the Old English given name Gōda, combined with the patronymic suffix "-ing," meaning "descendant of Gōda."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,482 Americans carry the last name Gooding. That puts it at #5,176 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,811 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gooding 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 Gooding with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.5K
1 in 45,811
Census rank
#5,176
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,525 bearers of the surname Gooding in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5176th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gooding, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.1%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gooding
The surname Gooding originated in England, with roots tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English word "goding," which means "good" or "goodly." This name was likely given as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who was considered virtuous or of good character.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gooding can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is mentioned in connection with various locations across the country, including Wiltshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Gooding evolved into various spellings, such as Goodinge, Goodwyn, and Gooden. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes who recorded the names.
Notable individuals with the surname Gooding throughout history include John Gooding (1570-1630), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Dorchester. Another prominent figure was William Gooding (1798-1859), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a vice-admiral.
In the literary realm, the name is associated with John Gooding (1792-1855), an English poet and essayist who wrote several works on religious and moral themes. Additionally, Reginald Gooding (1909-1988) was a renowned British biblical scholar and translator who contributed significantly to the field of biblical studies.
The surname Gooding has also been associated with notable Americans, such as Samuel Gooding (1719-1783), a prominent merchant and patriot during the American Revolutionary War. He was a member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and played a significant role in the political and economic affairs of the colony.
These are just a few examples of individuals bearing the surname Gooding who have left their mark on history, spanning various fields and time periods. The name's origins as a descriptive term for someone of good character have endured through the centuries, reflecting the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gooding
Among Census respondents with the surname Gooding, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.1%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gooding 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 Gooding surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.1% · 4,441
- Black or African American22.0% · 1,436
- Two or more races4.8% · 310
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 249
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gooding
Gooding 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
#4,942
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,123
+328 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 2.41
Rank movement Down 172 places
2020
#5,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,525
-598 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 2.18
Rank movement Down 234 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,770 | 6,795 | 2.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,942 | 7,123 | 2.41 | +328 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 172 places |
| 2020 | #5,176 | 6,525 | 2.18 | -598 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 234 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 Gooding 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 | #4,942 | #5,176 | -4.7% |
| Count | 7,123 | 6,525 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.41 | 2.18 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gooding bearers went from 7,123 to 6,525 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 234 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,942 to #5,176.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gooding
FAQ
Gooding surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gooding?
Name Census estimates that about 7,482 living Americans carry the surname Gooding. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,811 residents.
How common is Gooding?
Gooding ranks #5,176 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,525 people with the surname Gooding. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,482), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gooding.
Has Gooding become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gooding went from 7,123 recorded bearers to 6,525. That is a decrease of 598 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,942 to #5,176.
What does the Census say about the background of Gooding?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gooding, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.1%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Gooding in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.1% (4,441 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gooding appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.1%), Black (22.0%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Gooding (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 Gooding mean?
Derived from the Old English given name Gōda, combined with the patronymic suffix "-ing," meaning "descendant of Gōda." 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 Gooding (2.18 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 common is the surname Gooding?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Gooding at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.